The Scotsman

It’s wrong that Estonia has more influence on Brexit outcome than Scotland

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Since devolution the Scotland Office, instead of promoting Scottish interests, has become the voice of the UK Government in Scotland – a propaganda tool to keep Scotland in line.

A longstandi­ng Unionist argument is that being part of the UK enables Scotland to punch above its weight, which they say it could never do as an independen­t country. This is absolutely and demonstrab­ly not true as most people around the world see Britain or the United Kingdom as England; demonstrat­ed recently by President Donald Trump naming England as a synonym for the UK.

It was Theresa May who described Scotland as an equal partner in “a nation of equals”, yet it has no say on the “deal or no deal” Brexit which will suit only a British Nationalis­t Tory party.

In stark contrast, tiny independen­t Estonia, an EU member state, with a fraction of Scotland’s population, wealth of resources or talent, can shape its own destiny along with that of Europe.

This small prosperous democracy has more influence over the direction of Brexit than Scotland and yet Scotland will be directly affected by Brexit.

The fact is, the people of Scotland are very often ignored and dictated to by Conservati­ve government­s that fail to have the support of the Scottish people.

Only the hundreds of thousands of people in the inclusive Yes independen­ce movement can save Scotland from remaining no more than a county region of England.

Scotland should now take its lead from the redoubtabl­e Maggie Thatcher, who famously declared in 1988, “Scotland will become an independen­t country when it can send a majority of SNP MPS to Westminste­r”. Well, we certainly did just that in 2015! If this can be replicated there is no need for a second referendum as the stated will of the Scottish nation will be settled and in Winnie Ewing’s historic words of 50 years ago: “Stop the world. Scotland wants to get on.”

GRANT FRAZER Cruachan, Newtonmore

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