Spanish government deserves praise for standing up to pernicious nationalists

Gill Turner’s statement that the Spanish government is “an axis of Nazis and fascists” ( Letters, 31 October) is a disgusting insult to a liberal European democracy.

The current parliament in Spain is composed of left, liberal, centre right parties. It is unusual in that, like the UK and unlike most other Euro - pean countries, the far right have no presence in par li a- ment. The only par ties with extremist views in Spain are the various nationalist f acti ons who think their blood and soil matters more than the stability and prosperity that the post- Franco Spanish state have achieved.

Ms Turner also seems to think that there is some form of international law which allows any constituent part of a country to break away when it feels like it. It is amazing how many Scottish Nationalists think they are experts on international law and just how very wrong they actually are.

What is more concerning is that many SNP po li tici ans are echoing the sort of statements Ms Turner makes. Prime amongst them are former MPS George Kere van and Paul Monaghan, who are bombarding social media and fake news experts Russia Today with their illconsidered opinions on t he situation in Spain – how glad the voters in East Lothian and Caithness must be to see the back of them.

Too many other currently sitting SN PM PS, MS P Sand councillors are keen to show support for their fellow separatists.

It is clear that the veneer of “civic and joyous” nationalism that the Yes campaign coated itself within 2014 is now coming off and the SN Pa re returning to their true position as another set of blood and soil nationalists who want inde - pendence, no matter the cost and consequences.

The actions of t he Catalan separatists are showing what the costs and consequ ences are – businesses leaving in droves, no support from the EU or the international community and leaders who abandon their supporters as soon as their narrow self- interests are not achieved.

We should praise the Spanish government, left, right and centre, for standing up to the pernicious influence of nationalism.