DEMANDING a second referendum, Nicola Sturgeon (Echo, Jan 25) calls Boris Johnson a “cowrin’ timorous beastie” – words taken from a famous poem by Robert Burns about a mouse.

Actually, the poem is a prolonged expression of sympathy and affection for the mouse – and I don’t think sympathy and affection were the exact sentiments Ms Sturgeon was intending to convey towards Mr Johnson.

Pity the leader of the Scottish National Party isn’t more familiar with Scotland’s national poet.

You’d have thought some basic knowledge of Burns would be a prerequisite for anyone purporting to speak for Scotland.

Tony Kelly, Crook.