Opening Scotland to new markets

SIR, – Yesterday (Press and Journal, August 24) Nicola Sturgeon started scaremongering by stating Scotland could lose between £1.7billion and £11.2billion by 2030 due to Brexit.

Does this mean Europe is going to cut back or stop importing Scottish goods altogether? I don't think so. She would have been better to be seen encouraging Scottish companies to look at new markets that will open up as a result of Brexit.

Scottish goods will always be in demand globally due to their good quality and desirability. Why then is our first minister painting a negative picture of doom and gloom – or is it yet again an excuse to call another indy ref for her personal glory?

On the Scottish Government website, the last printed export figures for Scotland (2014) were as follows. Exports to the rest of UK £48.5billion, rest of the world £15.2billion and to the EU £11.6billion.

It therefore begs the question why does Nicola Sturgeon want to break away from our best market, which is clearly the rest of the UK (64.6% of exports ) in favour of our smallest export partner being the EU (15.4% of exports)?

Scotland should be concentrating on boosting trade with all regions of the globe and not be so focused on the EU as our SNP government seems to be doing.

If her figures are to be believed on Brexit then how much would we lose if we left the UK? Common sense would say you are better staying and growing your biggest export market rather than dropping it to concentrate on your smallest.

Scotland voted to remain in the UK and therefore it is confusing to see our first minister spending so much time and effort on trying to remain in the EU. Why? John McIntosh,

Thurso