REGARDING Rebecca McQuillan's article ("The Tories overplayed their hand – most Scots still trust Sturgeon", The Herald, March 5), while the Conservatives overplayed their hand on the eve of the First Minister's evidence to the committee, it is commendable that both Labour and the LibDems were quick to assert their reservation of judgment until after the inquiry was concluded. Inevitably most reviews published on social media have been coloured by entrenched attitudes on each side of the independence debate. However, like many who were willing to judge the proceedings impartially, I felt Nicola Sturgeon acquitted herself remarkably well on Wednesday, especially given the emotional dimension involved. Perhaps I should not have been so surprised given that she and her predecessor fall within the 10 most accomplished UK politicians of this century. For a nation comprising eight per cent of the UK population, that too is remarkable.