What a state!

Stuart Smith enthuses about how successful a separatist Scotland would be (Letters, 29 January). There’s mention of oil, digital technology, life sciences, tourism and “the highly successful financial sector”. How “successful” would these industries be when hamstrung by the increased level of taxation necessary to maintain existing expenditure on social welfare and public services, once the Barnett formula is removed?

Can Mr Smith give even one example of a financial services sector anywhere on this planet which has thrived under a farleft government like the SNP/ Greens? What about the additional impact of a hard border and a weak currency on trade, competitiveness and economic stability?

As for oil and gas, it doesn’t seem that the current nationalist leadership have much interest in extracting these resources; just as well we’ve got all those foreign-made wind turbines to keep the lights on!

Mr Smith mentions the Faslane submarine base and RAF Lossiemouth. Given the dangerous times we live in, he rightly states that the UK is keen to hang on to them. Since the peaceful, nuclearfree People’s Republic of Scotland would have no use for such installations, thousands of civilians once employed at these sites or in support and supply roles could presumably retrain to work either in renewables or our everexpanding civil service?

Mr Smith grudgingly concedes Labour could win a Holyrood majority but predicts that “Labour will be presiding over a Scottish nation, half of which do not want to be in the UK”. A house divided cannot stand; perhaps Mr Smith is implying we’ll need to look at a two-state solution? Martin O’gorman

Edinburgh