Scotland must take chance and go it alone

Sir, – With the UK government unravelling at an astonishing rate over the unmitigated disaster of Brexit I would like to point out a few cogent facts before the debate is lost in a fog of confusion.

The minister for Brexit has resigned over a deal he brokered.

The 500 plus pages of a dense legal document which the PM is defending has 100 mentions of Northern Ireland and no mention of Scotland.

Justifying this, the PM says this is because Scotland is part of the United Kingdom.

In effect, Northern Ireland will be in the position of attracting swathes of inward investment denied to Scotland despite 60% of Scots voting to stay within the EU.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Secretary states (at the time of writing) that he will not be resigning.

So the top Scottish Tory with a voice in cabinet stays in place whilst Scottish interests are marginalised.

Gathering pace behind the scenes there is talk from many of the more hard-line Brexiteers that only a “No Deal” scenario will be acceptable.

More than one has raised the spectre of the UK being a vassal state, subordinate to the power of the EU.

There is no point trying to debunk such palpable nonsense but let me just leave this thought hanging: If this mythical UK is being portrayed as subservient to the EU, just what exactly does this make Scotland?

Ignored, marginalised, treated with contempt – these are all phrases which have been used to characterise the engagement of politics in Scotland in relation to Westminster.

Unless Scotland grabs the opportunity to become independent we will be mired in the chaos that will result from the Cabinet of Catastrophe.

Graeme Finnie. Balgillo,

Albert Street, Blairgowrie.