THE announcement by senior German MEP, Elmer Brok, that Scotland would be able to rejoin the EU relatively quickly is another nail in the coffin of the Unionist argument that Scotland would have to wait years to join the EU, forced to the back of some non-existent queue.

Brok is a “big hitter”, a close ally of German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and former chair of the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee.

Scotland, as emphasised by Brok, already satisfies most of the requirements of EU membership as it is already part of the EU through being part of the UK. This clearly puts it in a very different boat when compared with candidate countries such as Montenegro, Serbia and Albania.

Last weekend the Spanish foreign minister, Alfonso Dastis, confirmed that his country would not veto an independent Scotland’s entry to the EU. This puts paid to yet another Unionist myth, that Spain would veto Scotland’s membership due to the issue of Catalonia.

A growing list of decision-makers across the continent are now making the case for Scotland’s seamless entry to the EU, refuting Unionist allegations that an independent Scotland would find itself blocked from membership.

Day by day, week by week, the Unionist argument that an independent Scotland would be unable to join the EU, or would be forced to wait years to do so, is melting away.
Alex Orr
Edinburgh

LET’S consider for a moment the mindset of Kezia Dugdale and Theresa May concerning the status of Scotland.

Kezia Dugdale (Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale writes to Theresa May to beg for a special Brexit deal for Scotland, The National, March 27) stated in a begging letter to Theresa May: “Negotiating a distinct Brexit deal for Scotland – and indeed other UK regions ...” Now we know. Dugdale views Scotland as a “region” of the UK, not as a nation in its own right, but then we always knew that. She just confirmed it. If you think that Dugdale’s perception is bad, it just gets progressively worse when we examine Theresa May’s reply to Angus Robertson in the House of Commons. May suggested (National, March 30 2017), that the Remain vote in Scotland should be treated no differently from that in her own constituency, Maidenhead in the south of England. So, there we have it.

Scotland has the status of a “region” and a “constituency” in the eyes of Unionists, and is not an equal partner in the so-called precious Union. What self-respecting sane Scot, would tolerate this deprecatory Unionist rubbish?

All the Unionists in the Scottish Parliament can do is toady to their London masters and sell the Scottish people down the river for cheap Unionist lies, vows and promises. Labour and the LibDems might as well join with the Tories.
William C McLaughlin
Biggar

THE inclusion of the “rape” clause (Rape clause branded a “vile policy in total chaos” T he National, 7 April) in the benefit changes by the UK Government is detestable and makes me ashamed to be a UK citizen. In addition, the whole policy of this cap on Child Tax Credits at two children makes no logical sense. Are we not repeatedly warned about the increasing imbalance due to our ageing population as more people are living for longer. Restricting two adults to have no more than two children won’t achieve this. Would it not be logical to support families to have more than two children to help balance the increasing number of the elderly?
Jim Stamper
Rutherglen

IT is not surprising that those who wish to remark on the latest GDP quarterly statistics, indicating that Scottish economic output contracted by one-fifth of one per cent, in order to condemn the Scottish Government, do not appear to recognise either the impact of decisions made at Westminster on these figures or the impact of Brexit, except perhaps for acknowledging that Finance Secretary Derek Mackay indicated that the latter was probably a factor.

Is it surprising that growth in Scotland lags the rest of the UK when Westminster Tory Government policies are focused on stimulating the economy of the South East of England?

Is it surprising that concerns over the looming Brexit “deal” are greater among Scottish businesses that on the whole voted against Brexit compared with businesses in the South that are more optimistic about Brexit ahead of confronting the economic realities of the actual deal?

Is it surprising that some businesses have listened to the misleading Tory propaganda labelling Scotland as a “high tax region” of the UK without yet waking up to the huge economic potential of an independent Scotland having membership of the EEA single market, even if temporarily via EFTA? If there is genuine concern about Scotland’s economic growth among those so far critical of the Scottish Government alone, but a sincere reluctance to support the First Minister’s request of a “differentiated EU deal” for Scotland, perhaps they should seek “assistance” for Scotland from the Westminster Government that they effectively endorse, and consider writing to the Prime Minister to request that work on HS2 start from Glasgow or Edinburgh rather than London.
Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian

I AM currently lying in A&E in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. I have had the fastest and kindest attention from the staff. They are both emotionally intelligent and well informed of the possible diagnosis. 
They seemlessly move trolleys of patients from cubicle to cubicle and sometimes park me in front of the desk where I listen to them discussing each patient with dispassionate concern. The atmosphere is spotlessly clean and highly efficient. I had no waiting time whatsoever. Why are they so criticised?
Jean Fraser
Edinburgh 

WE hear much about the problems faced by thge health service across the UK, and even in Scotland there are problems with lack of resources and hospitals unable to meet waiting times.
In some quarters people will have real fear for their futures if they get sick.
There is an obvious answer which politicians of all hues seem to avoid: we should just pay more tax to pay for the services we need.
John Macanenay
Glasgow