We need a Whitehall civil service leak to show that devolution is under threat

As the UK Cabinet Office has refused to publish a taxpayer funded poll on attitudes to independence, we can only hope there is yet another Whitehall civil service leak to show the extent of the Yes lead.

Since the poll was conducted, the UK government has stepped up its hostility to a second referendum for which, unlike the Brexit People’s Vote, there is an electoral mandate and started to diminish the devolution settlement under a “review” headed by an unelected Tory Lord.

In addition to not being “allowed” to hold Indyref2, Jeremy Hunt says any future PM should rule out handing any further devolved powers to Holyrood and following the Brexit power grab of devolved powers the rebranded UK government in Scotland, formerly the Scotland Office, is on active manoeuvres to bypass our Scottish Parliament through direct funding of devolved areas from London.

Hunt wants Ruth Davidson and Scottish Tory MPS in his negotiating team with the EU, plus the DUP, while ruling out our First Minister and the Scottish Government. Make no mistake Scotland and devolution is going to be put back into its box after Brexit.

When the SNP had only a handful of seats at Westminster, Mrs Thatcher said that if the SNP won a majority of Scottish seats that would provide the independence mandate without a referendum.

MARY THOMAS Watson Crescent, Edinburgh

John Major made a powerful speech over the weekend on TV and it would be easy to agree with many of his points.

However, there are some which must be challenged. First, he perpetuates the myth that it was only the Leave side in the EU referendum, which was less than truthful.

From the Remain side we had Project Fear from Osborne and co, who basically told us the world would end if we voted Brexit. Then there was the “information” leaflet from the government, which supported Remain, and which was not part of election expenses. Both sides played fast and loose with the truth at times! Second, he did not touch on why some voted for Brexit, ie the protest vote.

There is no doubt some voted to leave as a protest at the political/economic establishment, who gave us Iraq, and presided over the financial crash . . .

An Establishment of which John Major was and is a member!

WILLIAM BALLANTINE,

Bo’ness, West Lothian