No carte blanche

Nicola Sturgeon continues to ramp up the rhetoric about Indyref2 and a rerun seems more and more likely. Thus it is vitally important that the terms on which Indyref2 are held are discussed as she must not be given carte blanche, as happened previously. I would like to bring to Unionists’ attention various issues which I believe must be identified and agreed before it is too late.

For example, Nicola Sturgeon has stated that the timing is likely to be this autumn, as though no other interested parties should have any say, but she must first get Westminster to grant the right to hold it. I do not believe Theresa May and the Westminster Parliament will consider it politically acceptable simply to refuse permission. nor simply to give a general statement that the date cannot be determined until the terms of Brexit are known. Rather, Mrs May should state that the timing is subject to discussion to determine a date which is acceptable to both sides of the debate – autumn 2017 date may be too early to know for certain the likely outcome of the Brexit negotiations.

I trust other Unionists will ramp up the rhetoric against independence as currently all the talking is from separatists.

RAYMOND PAUL Braid Farm Road, Edinburgh