Scotland would be forced to adopt euro

Sir - What money would we use if we left the embrace of the United Kingdom? It’s a question that’s rather controversial.

When the former Russian-controlled countries were breaking free, it was obvious that they would want the help and support of the European Union.

To ensure that each new state would know they were being treated the same, the European Council made a decision about all future joiners.

Their 1991 agreement laid down those terms and they’ve applied ever since to all new joiners from Estonia to Bulgaria.

No new joiner has gained exemptions, even though they’re allowed to adopt the EU’s rules as soon as they can. Fortunately, Scotland already applies most of them, except for currency.

Here, the EU’s conditions are explicit: “...and adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union”.

Monetary union means us adopting the euro as our only money.

We’d need to agree to each of those conditions before we’d be allowed into the EU.

We couldn’t rely on the opt-outs that a different country – the United Kingdom – had agreed long before 1991.

Many Scottish families have handled euro notes and coins when on holidays, and many Scottish firms buy and sell in euros, so we’re used to it.

It would be goodbye to Scottish banknotes controlled by the Bank of England and hello euros controlled by the European Central Bank. Andrew Dundas. 34 Ross Avenue, Perth.