Devil and deep

I think that there is, slowly but surely, a realisation creeping in that the position the SNP finds itself in is unenviable.

Having not only lost the independence referendum soundly, they have now suffered a tremendous setback at the Westminster election, keeping as many as eight seats by a margin of barely 2,000 votes in all, one by two votes!

Their love affair with the EU, however, is now between the devil and the deep blue sea, as Brian Wilson made clear (Perspective, 13 October).

Whilst wanting to support the Catalans’ illegal vote and declaration on independence, they can see, as plain as the nose on their face, that businesses and banks are leaving the region. The EU and France in particular have made it plain that were Catalonia to become independent, they would not be in the EU and would not be recognised by any EU member states.

Since the SNP, as Mr Wilson has pointed out, have no plan for a post-brexit Scotland, their fragile electoral pool is drying up by the day.

Without the EU as a haven, there is no realistic appeal to Scottish voters to vote SNP, as they have only one policy. After all, to vote for independence in Scotland would be to vote for the sort of oblivion Catalonia faces and is backing away from. The SNP are gazing into an abyss, because Brexit, rather than offering them hope, actually offers them electoral catastrophe.

ANDREW HN GRAY

Craiglea Drive, Edinburgh