Referendums fail democracy

Sir, – We are lucky in this country that there’s always been general consent for decisions made through parliamentary democracy. But with referendums, that’s changed.

The result is not accepted by the losing minority. A 50/50 referendum is not the correct way to make any important decision, especially when our parliamentary system tends to have succeeded, on balance, to give everyone an opportunity to discuss the complex arguments for and against any proposal.

Currently, however, when trying to get votes, lies, fake news and discrediting the opposition with half truths seems to be the norm. The Brexit vote had so many blatant lies told by both sides that the voter voted on the whim of the day. What a ridiculous way to come to a decision on such a complex issue.

I think it strange that the SNP and others feel that all the issues on coming out of Europe were not fully explained – how could they be? I suppose the SNP fully explained all the problems of withdrawing from the UK and the trade issues that would follow?

Referendums should never be used as a decision-maker, because there is no way that the population is knowledgeable enough to consider the issues and problems that will follow. If a referendum is genuinely the only way forward it should be a two-third or 75% majority to try to protect us from those that vote but do not really know what they are voting for. Robin Duncan. 45 Woodlands Park, Blairgowrie.

Scotland is not a region of a larger entity but a nation in its own right, sold into an artificial union by a few unelected bankrupt Scottish nobles to extricate themselves from debt