Catalan lessons

The Catalan independence furore could hardly have come at a worse time for the SNP during their party conference.

Having abjectly surrendered the fracking argument to the Green SNP, in order to assure themselves of the support of that dubious group, they are now finding that the things we all said back in 2014 about Scotland are happening in Spain.

I will admit that, unlike here in the UK, the Spanish Government has made a total Puigdemont’s ear out of the whole affair. Had they left well alone and merely stated that the vote was illegal and would carry no weight, they would not have pushed some to turn against them due to the obvious anticatalan prejudice of some of the Spanish police in their violent attacks against civilians.

As it is, the major companies in Catalonia are now leaving, just as major Scottish institutions would have, had the SNP won.

Also, the EU has disappeared from view, though everyone has been made aware that the Catalans would be out, were they to become genuinely independent. Once more, vindication of the Unionists’ points denied by Alex Salmond.

Now, the French say that any independence declared by Catalonia would not be recognised by any other country.

Isolation. A flight of money and of people. No EU membership. A majority in the potentially breakaway state against the flagrantly illegal actions by an extremist local government.

A second vote on Scottish

independence? Not in our lifetimes.

ANDREW HN GRAY Craiglea Drive, Edinburgh