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"No one has a legitimate excuse for ordering a Rambo-style weapon to their home."

It’s scandalous that Rambo-style knives can be bought easily online for less than a round of drinks. These blades are not designed with fishing enthusiasts or farmers in mind.

They are dangerous weapons which cause agonising death if they fall into the hands of violent individuals. John McNab had his whole life in front of him when he was callously murdered by a teenager who is too young to be publicly named.

It cannot be right that an individual too young to vote in a general election can order such a dangerous weapon directly to their front door, packaged in such a way their parents may have no idea of the parcel’s deadly contents.

Knife crime has long been an issue in Scotland but hard work on the part of police and community organisations saw a long-term drop in the number of youngsters convicted of carrying blades.

But the Wild West nature of online marketplaces means military-style weapons are easier to obtain than ever before. It’s already illegal to carry or possess the knives in Scotland.

But this isn’t preventing desperate individuals from carrying them regardless. Legislation is required to clamp down on online sales of knives.

No one has a legitimate excuse for ordering a Rambo-style weapon to their home.

Amnesty programmes by police may be well intentioned, but in reality dangerous individuals will never voluntarily give up their weapons. Examples must be made.

Police and the justice system need beefed-up powers to ensure this worrying situation is not allowed to escalate.

Murrell parly farce

IT’s been over a month since Peter Murrell appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh and pled guilty to embezzlement.

But public interest in the scandal has not died down in the weeks since, with a steady stream of newspaper stories, podcasts, online blogs and TV documentaries poring over the events leading up to the imprisonment of Nicola Sturgeon’s estranged husband.

So far, SNP and Green MSPs have blocked calls for an inquiry at Holyrood to examine some of the unanswered questions thrown up by his conviction –such as: was public money given to the SNP subsequently spent by Murrell?

Jamie Stone is a respected figure at both Holyrood and Westminster. He spent 12 years as an MSP and is a committed devolutionist.

He is right to say the reputation of the Scottish Parliament is being harmed by a failure to address this matter seriously.

Public faith and trust in the very people elected to be transparent with us is being eroded the longer this goes on.

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