Is the UK now paying price for too-belligerent approach to Brexit negotiations?

As the Cabinet nervously increases the money for the Brexit divorce settlement, the usual bellicose voices are promising that the voters will go bananas.

This is why we have a hushhush Cabinet agreement.

Are we being blackmailed, as one Conservative MP has put it, or did Europe just ask us to identify what we thought were our commitments – which we need to finish paying for?

The government has simply dragged its heels on the three issues of the divorce bill, and has gained nothing for it.

But each day adds to the risk of businesses looking to relocate.

Meanwhile, Europe had now moved its goalposts and finally declared that the most we can hope for is a limited Canadatype treaty.

Perhaps belligerence has got us worse results than we might otherwise have got if we had adopted a negotiating approach.

As time for negotiating a better deal runs out, the danger that the country will withdraw its support from this incompetent government increases.

The problem is that belligerent people don’t realise that whipping up anger draws everybody into dog-eat-dog approaches.

ANDREW VASS Corbiehill Place, Edinburgh May I remind Robin Maccormick (Letters, 24 November) that not only did the UK government give no thought to the land border with Ireland should the UK vote Brexit in the 2016 referendum, little thought was given to any aspect of Leave as the government expected the referendum to deliver a Remain vote.

However, the UK electorate, realising that remaining in the EU meant greater political union with the EU, as described in the original 1957 Treaty of Rome and, following the creation of the Euro currency further fiscal union also, voted to Leave.

Those of us who believe in democracy feel it is up to the UK government and the EU to deliver on that vote and find solutions to complications along the way.

BENEDICT BATE South Clerk Street, Edinburgh As regards Dundee’s City of Culture bid, there is nothing like being wise after the event. Both the Rev John Cameron and Graham Hay (Letters, 25 November) think it was obvious that Dundee could not apply. If only Dundee City Council, the Scottish Government and the UK government had had their ability to read and their wisdom (although I don’t recall them writing in beforehand pointing out it was a waste of money and time applying).

The reality is that even the EU Commission thought that the bids were legitimate as they even featured them on their website.

The EU says it wants ongoing economic co-operation and cultural co-operation after Brexit – so why pull the plug 17 months late after a lot of time and money has been spent?

Even the arch Eu-phile Leeds Labour MP Hilary Benn has been highly critical of the “disrespectful” EU bureaucracy, but our Scottish Government politicians seem so wedded to the ideology of the EU as Nirvana that even when it is the EU who have pulled the plug, not the UK, it is the latter that must be blamed.

Who cares for Dundee, as long as we can profess our allegiance to the EU and blame the Tories? This sadly, is the current state of Scottish politics.

DAVID ROBERTSON Shamrock Street, Dundee