Letters, Joanna Cherry: Why I must set the record straight on my view of Scotland's future MP Joanna Cherry stresses that "the ideal method for Scotland to become independent would be after a referendum based on an agreement between the British and Scottish governments as set out previously in the Edinburgh Agreement". Picture: Alamy I HOPE you will permit me a right of reply to Mark Smith’s column which began with the words “We need to talk about Joanna Cherry” ("A nationalist view of history that raises a worrying vision of Scotland’s future", The Herald, January 11). Since entering public life during the independence referendum and then as an MP I have become accustomed to nasty hatchet jobs on my character and views. Sadly, they have been a particular feature of my experience in politics. Usually, they come from a position of ignorance from those who have never spoken with me and wish to distort something I’ve said by taking it wholly out of context. I am afraid Mr Smith’s column yesterday was typical.