Catalan question

The attempted suppression by the Spanish government of an independence referendum proposed by the devolved Catalonian parliament has aroused widespread condemnation in Scotland.

In 2014 an independence referendum was held by the devolved Crimean parliament, and was widely condemned in the West as an illegal power grab by Russia.

The circumstances were different: the Crimean referendum was hastily arranged after a coup in Kiev, and there were Russian troops, invited by the Crimean government, in Crimea at the time.

BBC correspondents in Crimea were critical of the manner in which the referendum had been held, but said that the result (an overwhelming Yes vote) broadly reflected the wishes of most Crimeans.

Both referendums were deemed illegal by the central governments and constitutional courts of their respective countries.

The Crimeans, who faced the unwelcome prospect of being dragged into the EU and Nato against their wishes, might be thought to have had the stronger motive for secession.

What reasons, other than political preference, are there for a difference of attitude to the two referendums?

ROGER WEST Swanston View, Edinburgh