Funeral in Berlin for Nicola’s plans to stay in EU
MADNESS is, they say, repeating the same action while expecting a different result. Is that not what Nicola Sturgeon is engaged in with her increasingly desperate jaunts to europe? The latest was to Berlin, where she was greeted with all the cordiality you would expect for a visiting head of a region of the UK. It was the equivalent of volker Bouffier — head of the federated German state of hesse — arriving in edinburgh. hesse has a population of slightly more than Scotland at about six million. While holyrood would no doubt roll out the red carpet, Theresa May would not be greeting herr Bouffier on the tarmac at Turnhouse. So it was with Miss Sturgeon in Berlin where she met German europe minister Michael roth — a mid-grade politician. and what has Miss Sturgeon to show for this latest waste of taxpayers’ cash? a statement from the Germans that they hope the united Kingdom can find a solution. It was a devastating put-down for Miss Sturgeon — the UK has voted to rescind its eu membership and the Germans will deal with the UK alone over the issue. Miss Sturgeon has no competence to be talking to europeans and about Brexit. She is not acting as First Minister on these pointless jaunts. She is acting as SNP leader and so her party should be dipping into its substantial cash reserves to pay for it all. CLAIRE McGUIRE, Glasgow.
I WAS aghast at SNP MEP alyn Smith’s ‘I beg you speech’ after the Brexit vote. Many No voters are criticised for ‘talking Scotland down’ and yet Mr Smith is praised for grovelling to europe. and I see Nicola Sturgeon has picked up the theme, travelling around european capitals, cap in hand, hoping to talk to any flunky she can find about the nonsense of
Scotland remaining — we were never members, so how can we remain? — in the EU. Stop this undignified charade. The Uk government will talk to europe about Brexit while Miss Sturgeon should stop pretending she’s an international stateswoman and deal with things that matter here: Jobs, education, justice.
f. johnston, Paisley, renfrewshire.
ANOTHER day, another pointless jaunt to europe for nicola Sturgeon. Previous trips have been a waste of time and here’s the latest to Berlin producing nothing at all. give it up, nicola. you’re no kissinger and europe isn’t going to talk to a wee region of the Uk whose nose is out of joint after democracy did not deliver the result it wanted.
EWAN BAXTER, Edinburgh.
The key intervention in the europe issue from a Scots perspective came from Scottish Secretary David Mundell. While nicola Sturgeon was running over to Berlin, Mr Mundell (Mail) is paving the way for meeting with Scottish businesses so he can report back to those in London making plans for Brexit. instead of talking to disinterested europeans, Miss Sturgeon should be talking to Mr Mundell. he can deliver results as he is legitimately involved in the process while Miss Sturgeon has no remit for her futile euro waffling. JIM KENNEDY, ayr.