The Indy ship sailed in 2014

I AGREE with Keith Howell (Letters, August 31) regarding the need for 60 per cent support for any new independence referendum in order to show genuine support for one, but this figure also needs to apply to the actual result as well.

We have had two significant referendums in the last seven years. Neither has resolved the issue at hand, and in many ways, the vote has made things worse. The chances of another referendum held on the same basis resolving matters is zero, especially as we know that the losing side is unlikely to accept the outcome if the result is close.

If the 55% result in 2014 was not regarded as being convincing by the Yes movement, then, by definition, the winning margin needs to be more than this. Even the smallest village hall committees or golf clubs in Scotland put a two-thirds majority in their rules for significant constitutional change in order to prevent damaging splits.

For all of us who have been paying attention to what has been going on in the world for the past 18 months or so, this particular issue is not the priority or anything like. We are going to need a decade at least to get out of the problems that Covid will leave us. The harsh reality is that the independence ship sailed in 2014, and it is not coming back. We have other things to be concerned about.

Victor Clements, Aberfeldy.

KEITH Howell suggests that Nicola Sturgeon should gleefully accept Alister Jack’s idea of only accepting a 60% majority in an independence referendum. Interestingly, Mr Jack did not propose following the Westminster model where the winning party requires less than 50% of the vote to run the country. It would seem that what is good for the unionist goose is not good for the independence gander.

Duncan Stirling, Cardross.