Perfect antidote

Unlike the other UK opposition parties, the SNP has obtained a mandate for a “peoples vote” at two elections and was supported by the majority of our Scottish Parliament, therefore does Ross Thomson (Perspective, 9 October) really mean it when he says Theresa May should respect that which was mandated by the people?

A study by the Universities of Edinburgh and Cardiff found that self-professed Unionists, don’t really care very much about the Union or devolution.

Their findings reveal the mindset of jingoist British nationalist voters, with 79 per cent of English Tories in favour of Scottish independence as a consequence of Brexit, while 75 per cent would support the collapse of the Northern Ireland peace process if it was the price of leaving the EU.

If Theresa May or any future Prime Minister refuses to grant a democratic referendum on Scotland’s future, the SNP should act on Margaret Thatcher’s retort that a majority of SNP MPS elected at the next Westminster election would be a mandate to commence negotiations.

With Scotland’s economic growth outperforming the UK’S, the SNP needs to keep making the economic case for a modern prosperous social democratic Scotland as the perfect antidote to the Tories’ backward blind Brexit.

MARY THOMAS Watson Crescent, Edinburgh

Today I received a letter from the Bank of Scotland informing me that the description of some of their banking services will be changing.

Instead of “planned overdraft”, they will say “arranged overdraft”, and “Sterling” will become “pounds”. Further, to find a full list of new descriptions, I must refer to the bank’s website. The bank claims that these changes are necessary to comply with European regulations.

My hope, probably forlorn, is that we get out of theeu, even if it is a “hard” Brexit, as soon as possible, telling that corrupt, rapacious organisation that they can whistle for the umpteen billion pounds (Sterling) which is their desired penalty for leaving, thereby relieving us from petty red tape such as the foregoing. However, I fear our own officialdom might well be just as adept at formulating petty rules and regulations as the wretched EU.

DAVID HOLLINGDALE Easter Park Drive, Edinburgh

The SNP Government says that leaving the European sin gle market and customs union will be disastrous for Scotland, resulting in the loss of 80,000 jobs.

This market only caters for 16 per cent of our trade, as opposed to nearer 80 per cent with the internal market of the UK they would be happy to leave if Scotland ever voted for independence. I remember former First Minister Alex Salmond saying at the time of the independence referendum that we would be best friends with our neighbours south of the Border after we left the UK, which I thought was totally ridiculous.

Divorces are messy businesses and there is always an aggrieved party. The EU are making it very difficult for us to leave with a decent deal and leaving the rest of the UK would be no different if we voted for independence.

Trade would not flow seamlessly across the border. The RUK, as the aggrieved party, would make us play a price for leaving and there would certainly be a hard border with England. The SNP’S policy of encouraging immigration would lead to back door migration to RUK, which they would not allow.

I am still waiting for SNP Government figures on the cost of leaving the UK, with regard to loss of jobs, reduction in trade etc – but I fear none will be forthcoming. JACK WATT St Ola, Orkney

As the political parties return from their annual conferences and Westminster gets back to business, the major business on the cards remains Brexit and the state of negotiations.

With the EU having rejected Chequers as unworkable and the Conservative Party divided three ways on what kind of Brexit they want to negotiate, it is more important than ever that we have a People’s Vote with the option to remain. We welcome the news that SNP MPS are free to support this, following Nicola Sturgeon’s statement to that effect.

We now call on the Labour Party also to respond to the strong message given by its members at conference, and of its MPS, for a People’s Vote by giving its official backing.

We all need to oppose the disastrous handling of the Brexit negotiations; it is now clearer than ever that there is no parliamentary majority for any form of Brexit and only a People’s Vote can bring the country back together. Week after week we are seeing a shift in public opinion to support a People’s Vote on the final day.

So we call on all of Scotland’s MPS to back our call and hand this decision back to the people.

ROBERTA BUCHAN Best for Britain Scottish Regional

Spokesperson, Balfour Street, Edinburgh