Get it together

Coronavirus is changing the world in ways we could not have envisaged only months ago. When it is combined with the stunning effects of the drastic drop in demand for petrol, plus the increased production by Russia and Saudi Arabia, which have forced the price of crude in the USA into negative value, the cornucopia of oil envisaged by our own separatists can be seen to have been self-deception, as well as deception of the Scottish people.

The knock-on effects of the virus will hit world trade extremely hard and even Germany will struggle to sell cars, Spain to sell holidays and the UK to sell financial services. It will, of course, hit Edinburgh’s financial services industry hard as well. The outcome will be that the EU, which is already in utter disarray, with Hungary being ruled by decree; the south and north at odds over

even more rescue packages for the former’s basket-case economies; Schengen at an end; and Emmanuel Macron trying to become top man will have to come to the table with a deal we can accept.

The EU will be in great need of their biggest market (that’s us, by the way) getting a good deal from them, no less than we want a market for our produce and services. Necessity is the mother of invention

and the world will be in great need of trade when we return to some measure of normality.

It is time for the separatists to get real and build on the consensus that Nicola Sturgeon is, no doubt with teeth gritted, working with the UK Government. We will sink or swim together as the UK, not two separate entities. There is no room for divisiveness.

PETER HOPKINS Morningside Road, Edinburgh