The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Independence: it’s not over yet
Sir, – Derek Farmer (Letters, November 10) predicts that nationalism will disappear. His chosen example is
Catalonia and he questions the right of a region to seek selfdetermination. As a selfconfessed UK unionist it seems he is having a veiled dig at Scotland to convince himself that nationalism at home will soon die a death.
The difference here is that Scotland is not a region of a larger entity but a nation in its own right, sold into an artificial union by a few unelected bankrupt Scottish nobles to extricate themselves from debt following a failed business venture in central America.
There are examples of nations breaking away from imposed unions, such as Norway from Sweden in Scandinavia and the six nowindependent countries which formed the former Yugoslavia, all living peacefully together as neighbours.
Scotland was cheated out of independence in 2014 by an eve-of-ballot intervention by three political party leaders from Westminster who pledged greater autonomy for Scotland in return for a vote to remain in the UK.
They actually gave a pledge, which by definition is a solemn promise not to be broken, and as cheating victories are always overruled in time, Mr Farmer, the Scottish issue of independence is far from over. Allan A. MacDougall. 37 Forth Park, Bridge of Allan.