Tongue tied?

The EU has had one very benign effect on the internal politics of the British Isles, that is, to make possible the Northern Irish Peace Agreement. By putting both sides of the border under the same arrangements, many points of conflict were removed. The approach of the end of this regime is in part to blame for the present collapse of devolved government in Ulster.

This has brought to light the question of language rights, which were up to now protected by the rules of the EU. Both the DUP and Sinn Fein are arguing for separate substitute laws to replace the EU edicts relating to language and tolerance of diversity. The former are now coming to the view that direct rule from Westminster is preferable to an Irish Language Act.

Unfortunately, this is happening at the same time as the Spanish government is considering the removal of the Catalonian language from the schools of that country as part of the restoration of central authority.

Given the present Westminster government’s penchant for keeping areas of authority to itself instead of returning them to devolved parliaments (fisheries and agriculture), I wonder how long they would be able to resist the temptation of meddling in the rights of Scotland’s indigenous tongues, Gaelic and Scots.

But och! I backward cast my ee, On prospects drear! An forward, tho I canna see, I guess an fear. IAIN WD FORDE

Main Street Scotlandwell; Kinross-shire A common theme these days is to look to Norway as a model to follow for Scotland’s future (David Roche, Letters, 21 February). But geography and historical legacies get in the way. Unlike Scotland, Norway had no coal mines, or James Watt, and wasn’t a leader in the industrial revolution, so it has never had a Glasgow, with its persisting and scandalous degrees of deprivation.

And Norway’s introduction of its policies of a high degree of social support funded by very high taxes were very much aided politically by the frightful experience of being occupied by the Nazis during the Second World War as, probably, was its voting “No” in two referendums about joining the EU. HUGH PENNINGTON Carlton Place, Aberdeen