Let Scotland vote

As an Englishman living most of my life in France, I see the Brexit deal unravelling. I also see the great injustice being forced on the Scottish people.

The remainers are demanding a People’s Vote as the situation, they aver, has now changedandanyway,consider the Brexiteers to be deranged racists.

However, the situation vis à vis the Scottish independence vote has now completely altered. You lot voted 60 per cent Remain and are now being dragged out of the EU. It would be unjust and morally indefensible not to allow the Scottish people to reconsider their position and have a Scottish People’s Vote.

The vote should be taken before the EU vote so that an independent Scotland could, now with Spanish agreement, stay in the EU.

ALEX TELFORD

La Rousselier, St Jean le Thomas, France

Having just listened to Nicola Sturgeon pointing out that Scotland is leaving Europe against the will of the people,i would like to point out that the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway voted to remain part of the UK in the Scottish independence referendum.

So I would suggest she is willing to take these people out of the United Kingdom against their will.it might just be possible that the two Border areas mentioned could become “The Scottish Borders” and be governed by Westminster, to whom we would pay our tax (it would be less than paying tax to Holyrood). We would then have free access for all

our goods and produce to 60 million people to the south of us, instead of 5.5 million to the north of us. Just a thought ! DUNCAN ROBERTSON

Galalaw, Kelso

Phil Tate’s letter of 6 December was most helpful. Unhappily, I for one have some difficulty in seeing how this sorry Brexit affair is going to pan out.

The matter is too important to be entrusted to Parliament, far less the current Government. The Tories are in meltdown, Jeremy Corbyn has been a huge disappointment and totally ineffectual, and as for Nicola Sturgeon – well she always has her own agenda.

Neither would a General Election resolve the issue – there would again be far too much scope for the games that politicians play.

I know it is a big ask to expect Parliament to seek revocation of Article 50 and take time for a radical rethink, but in the absence of that, it seems only a second referendum would provide a conclusion. The electorate started it and they can finish it –this time hopefully in possession of all the facts. TORQUIL MACLEOD

Balmacaan Road, Drumnadrochit, Inverness

I agree with much of what Phil Tate has to say about the halftruths which have surrounded the UK government’s presentation of the Brexit deal.

It was also welcome to see the Labour Party has moved to the position of supporting what the SNP first proposed two years ago, that the whole UK stays in the single market and the customs union.

Clearly, the SNP’S position does not square with the contention made by other contributors, that the SNP wishes to cause major havoc to the UK economy, but most interesting is the fact that someone must have had a quiet word with Jeremy Corbyn. People will remember that he stated on a number of occasions that it was not possible to be out of the EU and in the single market and customs union.

GILL TURNER Derby Street, Edinburgh

The SNP have been very quiet

as other parties, and even Tory MPS, have forced the Government to publish their Brexit legal advice in full. Perhaps now the SNP might publish their EU advice from 2014 in full, so that we might judge the prospects of independence?

Of course, they would have to able to lay their hands on it first.

KEN CURRIE Liberton Drive, Edinburgh

of the chief executive of Capital Theatres, Duncan Hendry.

Firstly, I should point out that Mr Hendry is retiring and will be working six months’ notice. His retirement is entirely his own decision, and he made me aware of his intention some time ago. The board of Capital Theatre reluctantly accepted his resignation at a meeting on Tuesday of this week and expressed their appreciation for the significant contribution Mr Hendry had made to transforming the fortunes of the Trust over the last seven years.

With regards to the King’s redevelopment, I should

point out that a considerable amount of the funding for this project is in place – more than £10 million – including £1.2m of donations received from philanthropists since the design team was announced in early November. Mr Hendry has been leading the fundraising effort and will remain involved after his retirement. When Duncan Hendry joined what was then Festival City Theatres Trust in January 2012, the organisation had a substantial financial deficit and had not long been through the painful process of staff redundancies, resulting in a reduction of 25 per cent of its full-time, permanent staff.

Seven years on, under Duncan’s stewardship and its new name of Capital Theatres, the organisation’s fortunes have been reversed, with the deficit long cleared, surpluses recorded for the past seven years and the long overdue redevelopment of the King’s Theatre at last underway.

Mr Hendry has been an outstanding chief executive and it was with regret that myself and the Board accepted his resignation earlier this week. DAME JOAN STRINGER Chair of the Board,

Capital Theatres, Nicolson Street, Edinburgh