The ins and outs of Euro currency

SIR, – The pessimists in your report (P&J, December 28) are unrealistic.

Scotland could not be forced to join the Euro currency zone. To join, a state must first be a member of the EU, apply and follow the Exchange Rate Mechanism for a period of years. As UK and Swedish examples show, it is possible to withdraw from this procedure at any time.

If negotiations for Scottish membership are not complete on Independence Day in the spring of 2016 they will certainly be far advanced. It would be possible for final details to be negotiated during a period of extended membership.

It would make no sense to expel Scotland, even if that could be done. We would then have to make non-member arrangements. We would have

“Are these agencies failing Scotland? On the contrary, Scotland is a significant net beneficiary”

to define our territory, including the maximum Exclusive Economic Zone allowed under international law, and negotiate membership of international bodies as a fully independent state.

Having gone through these changes, it would be very unlikely that we would be willing to go through all the disruption of changing back.

If the Tories win the UK General Election in 2015, they will be in the heat of their in/out referendum, and Scotland leaving the EU would tip the balance to “out”. If Labour win in the UK, the same pressures may force Mr Milliband to hold an in/out vote.

Only if the commission wants the UK out of the EU will Scotland have any problem staying in.