Forget the facts

The nationalist conspiracy theorists who disgustingly suggested the terror attacks on Westminster were staged to disrupt the referendum vote at Holyrood (Letters, 25 March) are the most extreme of a growing body of “alternative facts” being propagated in support of the separatist cause, such as the idea that whisky exported through English ports is not counted towards Scottish economic figures.

What is most worrying is that a growing number of SNP MPS and MSPS have joined in spreading statements which are demonstrably incorrect via social media. If they are doing so believing them to be true then they are not fit to hold public office and should step down. If they are doing so to deliberately deceive the voting public then they should be removed from public office immediately. Those who insist the GERS figures are untrustworthy are not only briefing against the Government of Scotland but calling into question the competency and integrity of the put-upon civil servants who work hard to correctly inform ministers.

Let me therefore launch my own conspiracy theory. Nicola Sturgeon believes a further referendum can be won only by deceiving enough of the population into voting for a destructive separation and is therefore happy to let lies be spread so long as she is not directly involved.

DR SJ CLARK Easter Road , Edinburgh

James Duncan regurgitates several standard nationalist lies than cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. He tells us that major retail outlets declare all their taxable profits in England so that tax from Scottish branches is not attributed to Scotland.

He claims that Scottish goods exported from English ports are counted as “English exports”. This, too, is completely untrue. Mr Duncan claims Scots pay for “various major infrastructure projects in England”, including the upgrade of the London sewer system. The truth is that improvement to London sewers is paid for by customers of Thames Water along with private investors. Scots do not pay for London underground extensions. The small amount that Scottish taxpayers contribute to HS2 is redeemed via the Barnett formula.

Mr Duncan claims that “all oil revenues will accrue to Scotland” after secession. Does he not know that oil revenues amount to very little nowadays? The expense of extraction in our oilfields is higher than in those anywhere else in the world, and companies are recouping the costs of decommissioning spent fields before any tax revenue is calculated. Oil revenues cannot now be “baked into” plans for a separate Scotland in the way that Andrew Wilson, Ms Sturgeon’s Growth Commission chair, has said was the case in the 2013 White Paper.

As for the UK’S debt, if a separate Scotland refused to take a share of it, it would be deemed to have defaulted. For its ambitious plans, an independent Scotland would need to borrow. Who is going to lend to a country that has repudiated its debt? No-one, not even at Wonga rates.

It is clear that Mr Wilson’s commission is going to give the SNP news that will be unwelcome. This is why SNP supporters like Mr Duncan, and a great many others, are currently spreading misinformation about Scotland’s financial and economic position. While the GERS figures are acknowledged as authoritative by Ms Sturgeon and Messrs Salmond, Swinney, Hosie, Robertson, Yousaf and Wishart, SNP activists at local level are spreading untruths such as those parroted by Mr Duncan.

JILL STEPHENSON Glenlockhart Valley, Edinburgh

Your article about the survey by French Duncan on SME attitudes to a second independence referendum brought the immediate response from the Scottish Government that Brexit will cost £11 billion and 80,000 jobs. What rubbish. This is the view of one report whose authors can have no clue as to what Brexit means. Why do the people of Scotland tolerate such nonsense? This government is famous for its predictions, unfortunately, generally wrong ones.

KEN CURRIE Liberton Drive, Edinburgh