Catalonia support

As Catalan separatist ex-leaders face charges of sedition and rebellion, Scotland’s own nationalist leader continues to lend support on social media to what she terms “self-determination” in Catalonia.

Nicola Sturgeon, though undoubtedly concerned not to alienate Madrid and Brussels yet further, seemingly suggests the result of the illegal Catalan referendum should be respected, since it reflects the will of the people. But surely it self-evidently does not, since, illegal or not, fewer than half the population voted?

Self-determination is, of course, what happened in Scotland’s referendum in 2014 with the full co-operation of London and Edinburgh parliaments and with both sides agreeing to abide by the result.

Ms Sturgeon is, however, significantly less outspoken in respecting the outcome of our own legally constituted, democratically held plebiscite. Funny that, isn’t it?

MARTIN REDFERN Woodcroft Road, Edinburgh

Brian Wilson (The Scotsman, 3 November) described the minority vote for Catalan independence as “an attempt at tyranny”.

Like many who analyse election results and interpret them to support their particular prejudices, he seems happy to ignore the fact that the UK has not had a government elected by a majority of the electorate for at least 60 years and that the combined membership of all the UK political parties is about 40 per cent of the electorate, despite the parties’ overwhelming grip on politics and government.

Perhaps that is what is meant by democracy or is expressed by the current popular euphemism “the will of the people”.

(DR) P M DRYBURGH Falcon Avenue, Edinburgh