I HAVE read about a person who agreed with most of the Yes arguments and messages during the 2014 independence referendum campaign but voted No because an independent Scotland would have meant retaining the monarchy. I have read about lifelong independence supporters who would vote for staying a part of the UK if independence meant not leaving the EU. I have read about a person who will not buy The National because its daily sister paper supports the Union and he doesn’t want to give money to the publisher of such a paper.

I find these stories very confusing. Correct me if I’m wrong but compared with the UK, isn’t an independent Scotland infinitely more likely to ditch the monarchy at some point in the future? The EU would control a fraction of the decisions made in an independent Scotland, while staying with the UK means Westminster decides most things that affect Scotland. The few things that Scotland has control over are mostly financed by the block grant that is decided in Westminster by the Unionist parties. Not buying the only independence-supporting daily and thus risking the very existence of the one and only independence-supporting daily seems a bit short-sighted to me.

Good examples of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Markus Mattila
Kaarina, Finland