Secret motives?

The SNP’S current delight and rejoicing in the outpourings of support for Scotland (re) joining the EU bears the closest of examination.

It will be evident to all but the SNP faithful that this is a natural reaction from Eurocrats only too eager to thwart the negotiations of the UK Brexiteers and encourage an SNP “fifth column” to run interference for them. It will be further buoyed by EU enthusiasm to welcome in an eager Scotland whose fisheries and oil resources will fit nicely into the EU vision of these as ulti- mately EU common property and resources to be enjoyed as the Commission directs, once full fiscal and political integration is achieved.

It ill behoves a party and movement that seeks to throw off the yoke of “Westminster” to be so fawningly keen to leap into the arms of Berlin and Brussels. Hark instead to the older, wiser SNP heads who long ago accepted “independence in Europe” for the oxymoronic nonsense it was.

RONALD JOHNSTON

St Ola, Orkney

Reports show that the letter of support for Scotland joining the EU signed by 50 European MEPS was an initiative by our Greens at Holyrood and a Green German MEP backed up by a mixture of ecologist and other fringe group MEPS in Europe.

It has, of course, been latched on to by the SNP as great news but the truth is, it is a contrived and cynical attempt to promote the SNP’S cause and ferment division within the UK at a time when the Brexit negotiations are getting underway and should be given no credibility.

If you are running out of straws at which to clutch just create one or two!

DONALD LEWIS

Beech Hill Gifford, East Lothian