MARK Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, “thinks” interest rates will increase in May as inflation is “greater than anticipated at the end of the year”. The man who controls UK monetary policy can’t forecast with any degree of certainty what interest rates will be over a three-month period, but we are expected to accept without question economic forecasts for Scotland after Brexit, over periods ranging from 15 to 40 years.

Unfortunately, your paper and its readership, almost without exception, accept those forecasts, condemning Brexit in the most extravagant language on a daily basis. As those forecasts cover the whole UK, in which Scotland continues to be included, are we to assume The National and its readership, made up generally of SNP and independence supporters, no longer believe independence is likely within the next 15 to 40 years?

Will the next independence referendum, if it ever takes place, fail to deliver independence? Because that is the message which is being delivered to the rest of the Scottish people.

Jim Fairlie

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