Exploitation of Scotland claims simply nationalist propaganda and paranoia

Having first castigated Douglas Cowe for his “selective” definition of nationalism, P. M. Dryburgh (Letters, 7 March) commits a similar offence by suggesting contemporary Scottish nationalism reflects “the reasonable desire of people to resist the efforts of empire builders and colonialists and manage their own country”.

Boris Johnson might well have a Churchillian complex but to characterise the UK government’s attitude to Scotland as empire-building as Mr Dryburgh and your columnist Kenny Macaskill frequently does is patently absurd and designed simply to stoke the fires of Anglophobia.

Equal voting rights and a free market economy across the UK, a devolved parliament, the independence referendum of 2014 – an opportunity to “manage their own country” – and through it all generous Barnett Formula funding are hardly the hallmarks of oppressive imperialism.

The UK is not attempting to exploit Scotland in some devious way. This is simply nationalist propaganda and paranoia.

In fact, the loss of Scotland’s five million citizens although genuinely emotionally traumatic for many down South, would economically speaking hardly be noticed and far from being Quislings, Scottish Unionist politicians strive simply to highlight the continuing benefits of our present constitutional arrangement in contrast to the uncertainly and potential pitfalls of a nationalist-inspired separatism.

Historically too, Mr Dryburgh’s neo-marxist definition makes little sense. It was the failure of a purely Scottish attempt to establish (yes, shock horror) a colony at Darien that led partly at least to the Treaty of Union in 1701.

This gave the Scots access to English colonies world-wide, and starting with Glasgow’s tobacco merchants they soon became the most enthusiastic imperialists carving out lucrative careers as traders, slavers and colonial administrators.

They were thus joint partners in and not the victims of British imperialism as Mr Dryburgh seeks to imply with his “selective” definition.

JOHN WOOD The Croft, St Boswells

Those of us who have long suspected the BBC – in particular in Scotland – of kowtowing to the SNP will not be surprised to read former top BBC man Robert Peston’s remarks (your report, 7 March).

He was, it seems, understandably furious to have his report prior to the 2014 referendum ‘’pulled’’ by the BBC minutes before the Ten O’ Clock News on the orders of the BBC’S senior executives who “feared the ire’’ of the then First Minister.

His report was on the economic impact in Scotland of breaking up the UK.

I am afraid all my worst fears have been realised. I feel betrayed and I like to think I have been a stalwart supporter of the corporation for many years.

ALEXANDER MCKAY New Cut Rigg, Edinburgh