The ‘benefits’ of considering Home Rule option for Scotland are far from clear

Professor Ben Thomson (“Home Rule should be on the ballot”, Scotsman, 16 September) claims “Home Rule” would be prefer able to full independence because it would mean Scotland would “benefit from having the pound sterling as currency”.

The pound has bee non a steady downward slide since 2007 and will only sink further after Brexit, leading to higher living costs and a fall in real wages.

Why would Scotland choose to stick with a failing currency when it could start with its own clean currency and independent central bank? With independence, Scotland would not be shelling out over £3 billion per year on interest payments for a UK debt it did not incur nor benefit from and would be able to rid itself of the cost and menace of nuclear weapons on its soil.

Another “benefit” of Home Rule, says Prof Thomson, is “the clout that comes from being part of the UK when it comes to a voice on global matters”.

We have already seen how the decision to leave the EU has diminished the UK’S global influence and it’s questionable whether the UK’S seat on the UN Security Council will be safe. The US and other nations will wield the upper hand in any trade deal and the UK Government’s breach of the Withdrawal Agreement has incensed not only our European neighbours but also powerful members of Congress because it risks a return to violence in Northern Ireland. The UK Government is viewed as a rogue state that doesn’t honour international agreements. Why would Scotland choose to be part of such a state?

And as Joanna Cherry QC pointed out, the Withdrawal

Agreement, in seeking to oust the jurisdiction of the Scottish Court of Session in respect of judicial review, breaches the Treaty of Union. This bill, she predicts, will put a final nail in the Union’s coffin.

The idea of Home Rule is too little, too late. But good luck with your book sales, Professor.

LEAH GUNN BARRETT Merchiston Crescent, Edinburgh

If there was any appetite for federalism or Home Rule, the Liberal Democrats would not be a fifth force irrelevance in Scotland. In any referendum it would only diminish the antiself government vote, and who would decide any Home Rule disputes?

Under the Internal Market Bill power grab the proposed Office for the Internal Market, will comprise a group of unelected people to oversee the working of Westminster’s power grab of devolved areas and a race to the bottom on standards, plus the possible privatisation of NHS Scotland to align with England. In addition, the powers of the Supreme Court of Scotland are being undermined, which is contrary to the Treaty of Union.

Contrary to Robert Scott’ s assertions (Letters, 16 September) the SNP has won several electoral mandates for another referendum as Scotland is being dragged out of the EU against our democratic will.

Also, the Northern Isles are rightly seeking ways to achieve greater autonomy but no one has seriously suggested breaking away from an independent Scotland.

We had this as par t of the Project Fear scaremongering playbook in 2014 but it won’t work again.

FRASER GRANT Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh