OK with Plan B

I find myself in partial agreement with those SNP politicians who argue that independence negotiations could be triggered without a referendum ( ‘Plan B for independence without a referendum’, Scotsman, 8 July).

The two referendums we have had in the past five years

have not resolved the issues at hand.

It must be apparent by now that any future referendum should be a two-stage process, with Stage 1 being required to secure the mandate to negotiate, and Stage 2 being a vote on the negotiated settlement. We know that a vote on the principle alone does not work.

The initial mandate to open negotiations does not necessarily require a referendum in itself, and there is no reason why a parliamentary vote should not be sufficient. However, a Westminster vote would not work because people are usually concerned with a much wider range of issues in UK elections.

So, yes, let the SNP open negotiations if they gain the majority of seats in the next Holyrood election, on condition that there is an actual referendum on the settlement they reach, which, like Brexit, must be achieved within a two-year period.

There is no risk in this for the rest of us because our political narrative is dominated by this anyway.

VICTOR CLEMENTS

Aberfeldy, Perthshire