How many votes?

Many have suggested more referendums might somehow help overcome the uncertainty and division left in the wake of the last two imposed onscotlandandtheuk(scotsman, 6 May).

The latest proposal from Dr Alan Renwick of University College London, is that the Scottish Government accepts in advance that any rerun of the 2014 independence referendum is held on the principle of independence, with a further confirmatory vote when the detail of a deal with the rest of the UK is known.

The logic is understandable in light of the chaos that has ensued after the 2016 EU vote, when it appears that few can agree on what Brexit means, and attempts to find a workable compromise have been tortuous.

Yet, when the people are broadly divided down the middle on a controversial issue like Brexit or Scottish independence, will a confirmatory vote really help or simply widen the number and complexity of issues?

The SNP leadership is most unlikely to agree to a second hurdle to get over to secure independence, not least because it would surely argue that a confirmatory referendum

would act as an incentive to the UK government to make terms and conditions as unattractive as possible.

Arguably there has been some of that in the inflexible stance of the EU in Brexit discussions, perhaps with a mind to a possible People’s

Vote overturning the original result – or at the very least to demonstrate to other EU member countries that the process of trying to leave will be as painful as possible.

The simpler answer to the problems with referendums is to not have them in the first

place, unless perhaps when polling evidence shows a clear cut result is very likely and all sides can agree a sufficient winning margin to deliver a decisive outcome before seeking to implement complex and seismic constitutional change.

KEITH HOWELL West Linton, Peeblesshire