Seek assurances

Spain’s foreign minister Josep Borrell appears to have reversed his state’s position on an independent Scotland obtaining membership of the EU.

I write “appears” because his words were off the cuff and not contained within a formal Spanish foreign office statement – his actual words, “Why should we be against it” carry a fair degree of ambiguity. I think it is important that Spain’s position as a state is clarified. I say “state” because governments and policies change. It will be Spain’s perceived state interest at the time of independence that will be decisive in their view of Scotland’s position, not what a foreign minister who may then no longer be in post said in what may have been just a casual remark.

To that end, I suggest Nicola Sturgeon nails down the Spanish position, by writing formal letters to the Spanish prime minister and the leader of the opposition there, seeking a firm assurance that in the event of Scotland becoming independent and wishing to retain membership of the EU, Spain as a state will support us. She might take this opportunity to put the same formal question to the President of the European Commission to see if its policy has changed after the praise heaped upon Scotland by Brussels since the vote on Brexit.

I think my colleagues in the SNP have to be careful, and not find themselves being used as a temporary disruptive force within the UK by EU states who have their own agenda on Brexit. I would certainly want more than those words quoted before I threw my hat in the air and shouted hurrah.

JIM SILLARS Grange Loan, Edinburgh

Bill Jamieson’s contribution to Perspective (“Brexit’s silent screams warn of far-right”, 22 November) reminds me of an opinion I read in one of the metropolitan newspapers to the effect that “a Britain in which the liberal left feels outraged about Brexit may be literally a less dangerous place for us all to live in... than a Britain in which it is the nationalist right who feel betrayed”.

Have we really reached the position that we have to yield to the demands of the “nationalist right” in order to avoid what would be a vicious backlash?

The “liberal left” has every right to refuse to accept the result of the flawed EU referendum which failed to incorporate internationally recognised democratic safeguards to prevent the disastrous situation we now find ourselves in. Furthermore, the Leave Campaign was founded on illegal financial arrangements and outright lies.

No Mr Jamieson, we Remainers, while refusing to adopt the tactics of the far right, won’t accept being bullied by the forces of populism and English nationalism.

JOHN MILNE Ardgowan Drive, Uddingston

If your correspondent Mary Thomas believes Nicola Sturgeon is“putting independence on hold ... to sort out Brexit”, then she is beyond naive. Ms Thomas apparently hasn’t noticed Ms Sturgeon has been attempting – unsuccessfully – to use Brexit as a justification for indyref2 every day since June 2016.

The SNP constitution makes clear that its primary objective is independence – Ms Sturgeon never stops campaigning to break up the UK. Indyref2 is on hold because, though Ms Sturgeon likes to give the impression she has authority over constitutional matters, she does not.

Downing Street has repeatedly told her and us that Brexit means “now is not the time” for yet another referendum north of the Border; indeed, Ms Sturgeon has already tacitly acknowledged that, for this reason, indyref2 won’t be held this side of the 2021 Holyrood election. Ms Sturgeon continues to use current Brexit uncertainty as an independence lever. Her difficulty is that it’s now clear unravelling the implications of Brexit will take many years, so Downing Street is right to deny the nationalists another referendum until Scottish voters are in a position to achieve a full understanding of what Brexit means. The earliest feasible date looks like 2023 – if, and it’s a big if, a nationalist majority is returned in 2021.

MARTIN REDFERN Woodcroft Road, Edinburgh