This is no time to be thinking of indyref2

IT has been reported that the majority of Scots want a second Scottish independence referendum in the next five years. This is according to a poll by Ipsos MORI for BBC Scotland. This finding is based, it was stated, upon telephone interviews with 1,006 Scottish adults between May 14-20. That majority are, of course, entitled to their views and to express them.

This surprising result, at least to me, suggests that a majority are looking for such a referendum to be held during a time when we will be faced with continuing to cope with the ongoing profound financial, economic and health consequences of the pandemic and the significant adjustments of various kinds necessary due to our exit from the EU with or without a trade deal. Negotiations with Brussels are not apparently going well at present. The time would be patently out of joint for such a Scottish political initiative.

My reaction to the poll finding is similar to that once given by the tennis legend John Mcenroe to an umpire during a match: “You cannot be serious’.

Ian W Thomson,

Lenzie.

IT is heartening to read that Neil Mackay has become a “jaded” Yes voter, giving ample evidence of the woeful record of Nicola Sturgeon’s regime, prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic (“Dumb Dom plays a blinder for the SNP and independence”, tye Herald, May 28).

As he is a declared Yes voter, he might want to dedicate a number of Herald articles on the costed, credible, economic and financial case for an independent Scotland, especially on the financial support received from Westminster during this time. I am confident these figures, which SNP politicians never want to discuss, will prove that an independent Scotland cannot survive on emotion and sentiment alone and is best placed as a strong, properly managed devolved nation within the substantial economic strength of the UK.

Had Scotland become independent following the referendum in 2014, outwith the UK and definitely not part of the EU due to inability to meet economic criteria, where would Ms Sturgeon have gone for financial support during the pandemic?

It is morally indefensible to base the future of a separate Scotland on Braveheart emotion without providing “the people of Scotland” with real facts and figures – these should be very revealing.

Douglas Cowe,

Newmachar.

IN business it is wise to copy the policy of successful competitors.

Had an independent Scotland invested, as Norway did, in a sovereign wealth fund, we would have been able to provide our NHS with every penny to combat and survive the Covid crisis and emerge with plenty left for recovery investment.

The lesson is clear.

J Hamilton,

Bearsden.

I FULLY endorse the sentiments aired by Emily Maitlis about Dominic Cummings on Newsnight, however, the BBC was perfectly correct to reprimand her (“BBC says Newsnight’s Cummings remarks ‘breached our guidelines’”, The Herald, May 28).

Dare we hope that this signals a new departure for the corporation. Maybe we can look forward to these rigorous standards being applied to those of its employees who routinely use their positions to defend (as they see it) the Union. John Boyle,

Ardrossan.