Sturgeon would be foolish to see Blair comments as boosting Indyref2 chances

Does Tony Blair’s pro-european Union position and backhanded endorsement of Nicola Sturgeon’s Indyref2 ambitions improve her chances of winning another UK breakup referendum? Or even grow her standing among dyed-inthe-wool separatists?

Opinion polls show many of her core supporters don’t want to replace Westminster with Brussels. Plus, they also suggest the UK is more important than the EU to most No-voting Remainers.

Mr Blair was once as popular as Ms Sturgeon, but associations with the Iraq war have tarnished his reputation. The nationalist leader daily disparages Labour but has pragmatically put aside her prejudices – and backs Tony Blair’s stance on the possible impact on the UK of leaving the EU.

I, however, very much doubt Mr Blair’s comments have progressed the only cause gen- uinely close to Ms Sturgeon’s heart: separating Scotland from the rest of the UK.

MARTIN REDFERN Royal Circus, Edinburgh

The Indyref2 case given by Tony Blair fails to address the problem that there is no mention of the economic cost arising from a YES vote. For example, to reduce the Scottish deficit to 3 per cent of GDP would incur a tax hike of over £10 billion a year, doubling the basic rate of tax in Scotland to over 40 pence in the pound.

In addition, a large number of economists fail to assess the cost to Scottish households once 92 per cent of the subsidy bill paid to the renewable sector is no longer provided by English and Welsh consumers. The £17.5 billion a year subsidy would result in an additional tax rise of 35 pence in the pound (Letters, 28 December ) making a grand total of a 75p in the pound burden on Scottish taxpayers.

Also, the vision to phase out the use of gas over the next decade to meet the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate means replacing that energy source with electricity, which is three times more expensive. Has Holyrood examined the impact of such a policy on the 40 per cent of Scots living in fuel poverty since the current yearly dual fuel bill of around £1,300 would increase to £4,000 a year ?

Hopefully MSPS will remember their broken pledge to eliminate fuel poverty by 2016 before inflicting more pain on those Scots existing in fuel poverty

IAN MOIR Queen Street, Castle Douglas

Many of your letters miss out on one major point when they deride Tony Blair’s recent speech.

The point is that the referendum was won by a narrow majority. Therefore, it is quite democratic for those of us who think that Brexit is “La La Land” to take the view that the public mood may shift as we see the likely consequences of inflation, manpower shortages in farming and health and loss of tax take due to banks diversifying away some services from London.

We will also soon see if the government is having an easy ride on negotiations.

Tony Blair had some very useful points to make which Brexiteers want to sideline. He claimed that Brexit is so complex that the government may be capable of only working on broad-brush Brexit issues.

Lesser issues such as Scottish concerns about loss of farming subsidies may go on the back-burner.

And naturally the government has no spare attentional space to consider problems like National Health Service funding – which is why their attitude to the NHS is “Crisis? What crisis?”

ANDREW VASS Corbiehill Place, Edinburgh

The Centre for Economics and Business Research predicts that the gap between what Scotland raises in taxes and spends on public services will rise to 9.5 per cent of GDP in 2017/18.

This is clearly unsustainable, and in the event of a “Scexit”, Scots will suffer catastrophic recession and Greek-style austerity cuts of about £20bn.

As the new Greece, it should beware former Labour leaders bearing gifts, and Tony Blair’s support for Scottish independence can be taken in a number of ways.

I suggest he means that if England wants to make a go of Brexit, it needs to shed as many Celtic industrial graveyards and economic black holes as possible.

REV DR JOHN CAMERON

Howard Place, St Andrews

Tony Blair’s comments on Scottish independence were arguably not helpful for anyone, although the SNP were quick to take comfort from them. Advice on the merits or otherwise of Brexit or independence is hard to take from someone who got Iraq so badly wrong.

KEITH HOWELL West Linton, Peeblesshire

So Tony Blair has managed to tear himself away from his lucrative circuit of after-dinner speeches to insult the democratic process? As a leave voter I am appalled by his latest ramblings urging the people to rise up against Brexit.

GORDON KENNEDY Simpson Square, Perth