Ruined rep?

Scotland’s international reputation is being ruined by nationalism, claimed reader Douglas Cowe yesterday.

Douglas Cowe, in his bombastic and partisan rant, that nationalism's only objective in life is the destruction of the United Kingdom at all costs and for no credible and justifiable reason. I’d stake my wig that Mr Cowe is a conservative! The argument for independence is a political one, it's one of identity. 78 per cent of Scots didn't vote for his party last month, but he presumably won't let that trouble him, since the union provides him personally with the governments he likes. With independence Scots can elect those we actually want and remove them, if and when we like. There's absolutely no reason we should have to accept another nation's governments to preserve our 8 per cent say in a vetoless union, or have to believe ourselves to be British, whatever that is, which being almost 90 per cent English will always reflect English opinion more than our own. The union does not serve Scotland well, we lose our identity in it, it is simply too English.

As I See It Your post appears to ignore the existence of Holyrood. That is where the decisions are taken that affect our daily lives. Nationalism and independence are different things, evidenced by the fact that not all supporters of independence are nationalists. History shows that nationalism is divisive. Scottish nationalism is no different, despite the 'civic' tag that gets added. Nicola Sturgeon is proof of that. She not only stirs up division within the UK, but also within Scotland.

Not a Lemming