Chance to be free

Contrary to David Allan’s blinkered assertions (Letters 15 March) a second independence referendum offers the people of Scotland a choice of two futures, between an internationalist outward-looking Scotland or a backward-looking Little Britain driven by an extreme right wing Tory government at Westminster which was given a blank cheque over Brexit and austerity cuts by an ineffectual Labour Party.

In response to Mr Allan’s questions, Scotland is in a unique position with regard to EU entry and failing which would join Efta in order to maintain access to the single market of 500 million consumers.

Providing it is on parity with sterling it doesn’t really matter what currency we use on day one of independence, and like other countries any deficit would be brought down by growing the economy, which means encouraging migrant workers, plus defence cost savings etc. It is clear that Scotland’s GDP is higher than many EU countries.

The cost of setting up an independent Scotland will be much less than the £1 billion the Tory government plans to cut from the Scottish budget between now and 2020, with more austerity to come if we remain part of the UK.

Previously the SNP stated that the Queen would remain Head of State, as in other Commonwealth countries.

There will be various visions of what a self-governing Scotland could look like and what economic policies should be adopted but these will be taken in the best interests of Scotland by whatever political party we choose to elect – unlike what happens under Westminster rule.

MARY THOMAS Watson Crescent, Edinburgh I wonder if Nicola Sturgeon has realised that the 62 per cent of Scots who voted Remain in the referendum last June voted, like me, to remain in the EC as part of the UK and 55 per cent of those probably voted No in Indyref 1.

She is quite wrong to say that 62 per cent of the Scottish electorate voted to remain in the EC as a small independent nation with very little say in the affairs of the EC and no support from the UK with its right of veto against any matters adversely affecting it. Furthermore, I am surprised that she does not realise that a significant number of the residents of the founder EC nations – France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands – are now voting for independence from the EC.

The history of Scotland shows that it became an increasingly influential part of the UK after the Treaty of Union, very much involved in building up the British Empire to become the greatest group of nations in the world and – in the Enlightenment – to become a highly respected cultural part of the UK. Why throw all this away ?

IAN SCOTT-WATSON Harelaw Moor Farmhouse

Greenlaw, Duns Nicola Sturgeon wants to force indyref2 on us whilst the Brexit negotiations are ongoing. She’s asking us to vote on our future when we have no idea what that future might be.

That’s the same as asking whether we would like to buy a house but with no access to any set of particulars so that we wouldn’t know where it was, how many rooms there were or even if the house had a roof.

What an insane and irresponsible decision to foist on us and we, the people of Scotland, deserve not to be held in such contempt. FIONA CAMPBELL

Stobo, Peebles The United Kingdom has been a hugely successful country and the envy of many. The country has been strong socially, economically and militarily with the ability as a united country to cope with everything that has been thrown at it – and there has been much thrown at it. There is more need now than ever to maintain very strong unity going forward. With Donald Trump on one side, Vladimir Putin on the other and Europe about to implode, this is no time for Scotland to seek separation from the rest of the United Kingdom.

Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon and their supporters want to break up this success story and lead Scotland over a cliff to oblivion. Ms Sturgeon stated publicly last year “the case for full self-government ultimately transcends the issues of Brexit, of oil, of national wealth and balance sheets and of passing political fads and tends”.

This irresponsibility from a national leader beggars belief, is arrogant in the extreme and morally indefensible. Her case for separation is built apparently on nothing more than some teenage emotional fantasy and to hell with the consequences and supporters, intelligent people, believe she is right.

The economic and currency case for separation was not made in 2014 and the outlook is even bleaker now with the collapse in the oil price. What supporters don’t seem to understand or want to believe is that if Scotland became independent, the level of austerity visited on Scotland would be severe with massive tax increases and a deterioration in public services. There would be no going back.

This is no time for Scotland to go it alone based on emotion and fag-packet economics.

DOUGLAS COWE Kingseat, Newmachar

Aberdeenshire Having read Euan Mccolm’s Perspective article yesterday I disagree with him only in that he understates his case about how unpleasant the last referendum campaign was.

As one who was on the streets many times doing nothing more provocative than holding a “No Thanks” placard, I experienced how poisonous the atmosphere was due to the actions and words of the SNP and their supporters. Old ladies were harassed and spat at for

wearing a “No” button; the sentence, “I hate the English” was heard too many times to count; I was sworn at in the foulest, most powerful words the language has – including being called “English”, which is probably the very worst term of abuse for the separatists! I was born and brought up in Scotland, by the way.

If a second referendum actually happens, the campaign will be utterly vicious and we’d better get ready for it. Nationalism everywhere is always divisive, discriminatory and destructive. The SNP leadership knows that, yet still they are prepared to profit from it for their own self-serving ends.

BILL COOPER Highfield Circle, Kinross