So persuade me

I was a No voter. Indeed I campaigned for Better Together. I am now neutral on the question of Scottish in dependence because of the contempt shown by the UK Tory government for Scottish op inion. I cannot subscribe to the potentially damaging “independence at any cost” stance seemingly adopted by many nationalists; my support would be conditional.

I will not be voting for independence at any forthcoming referendum unless it is clear what currency we will be using, it is clear that there will be no hard border with England, membership of the EU is guaranteed and there is hard and unbiased evidence that Scotland will not be worse off economically than if it remained in a post-brexit UK.

I am sure that man yo thers who like me are swaying towards independence will want similar assurances. My great fear is that Scotland could become a kind of backwater outside the UK and outside Europe, with dire consequences for our trading relationships. This points to the need for negotiations within the UK and with the EU before, not after, a vote so that we all know exactly what we are voting for or against. We must avoid the fiasco that has been the aftermath of the EU referendum. We cannot have people saying “this is not the independence I voted for” once a separation agreement is reached.

So if there is a majority in parliament supporting another referendum after next year's Holyrood elections, and the Tories finally see that resistance is undemocratic and self defeating, let there be a sensible approach to arranging it that will minimise confusion and dissent. I will not campaign for either side but I will press for facts and answers. I am open to persuasion.

BARRY TURNER Carberry Close, Musselburgh