Straw clutching

Yet again simple arithmetic seems too much for Alastair Stewart and the SNP, who equate seats won to democracy (“Democrats cannot deny SNP Indyref2”, Perspective, 19 November). The independence issue will be settled by a referendum, therefore a Yes or No is all that is required to a single question. It is a safe presumption that independence seekers vote SNP, Greens or Alba already. Only once have their votes outnumbered the combined votes for Unionist parties.

It is also safe to suggest that a turnout for a referendum will far exceed the normal vote turnout, and that will produce an even higher vote in favour of No. The SNP are clutching at straws, know they are doomed, yet spend £20 million-plua unnecessarily.

As for the current Westminster mess, the cost of fighting Covid, furlough etc has to be recovered. I did not hear squeals of anguish when jobs were saved and wages were paid. We in Scotland have lived in a mess of Holyrood’s making for quite a while now and giving them a borrowing lever will only make it worse!

As for how to escape Westminster, when more people want SNP etc than the rest, the government would listen – but that won't happen until Holyrood unearths talents it hasn’t got and proves itself capable. JIM RIGBY

Edinburgh