Conservative Government’s disdain for other parties’ views on Brexit is telling

Throughout the Brexit debacle a single trait of the UK Government and its “EU Negotiating Team” has glaringly stood out, blind arrogance.

This blatant political disdain of the views of other parties, emphasised by an assortment of patronising comments and platitudes, was reflected in the smug dismissal of options proposed by the Scottish Government in the objectively constructed paper, Scotland’s Place In Europe.

This conceit was also reflect- ed in the initial derision expressed by UK Government ministers of the three fundamental criteria outlined by the EU as requiring agreement before trade talks could commence, which after six months of condescending bluster now appear to have been basically agreed in principle, if not in formal words.

The Prime Minister’s presumption that the Conservative Party’s de facto coalition partners, the DUP, would simply go along with a concession that in effect would give Northern Ireland a separate trading status from the rest of the UK in favour of “regulatory alignment” (read customs union) with that of the Republic of Ireland, was not only vain and aloof, but alarmingly naïve.

Scots have a long history of bringing those with arrogant pretensions down to earth, which regrettably has at times been wrongly assessed as an “anti-english” sentiment, and perhaps now is the time for Scotland to forge its own path forward while encouraging our English friends to ditch support for self-serving egotists, such as Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-mogg, in pursuit of more socially responsible government.

Self-determination presents many challenges but there is no limit to what can be achieved with everyone, including all who wish to build a positive future in our country, wherever they originate, considered a valued individual and not simply a statistic to be quoted in a pompous political charade to re-establish a “Great” British Empire.

STAN GRODYNSKI Gosford Rd, Longniddry

East Lothian We have had fresh outbursts from many in the press suggesting Theresa May is the weakest PM in living memory.

May I suggest she is the unluckiest, with (i) a majority of politicians appearing only capable of giving out more money rather than seeking solutions as Mrs May has done; (ii) our media only too eager to find “grabbing” headlines, never mind the substance; and (iii) politics that seems to be about gaining power and then a pension.

A weaker Prime Minister, I suggest, would have walked away from the egotism of the media and mediocrity surrounding her on both sides of the House. JAMES WATSON Randolph Crescent Dunbar, East Lothian