THE Scottish Government yesterday published a very concise and in-depth analysis of Scotland’s situation with regard to the Brexit debacle, and what impact it will have (FM bid to protect ‘future generations’, The National, January 16). They analysed the different scenarios and all of them illustrate that our nation will suffer very serious negative consequences if we are not pulled out of the UK.

The Colonel’s Scottish Conservative party came out screaming “over-the-top scaremongering” before the ink was even dry, and, bearing in mind this is the party who have dragged us against our will into this mess, one would have thought they would have been a little more circumspect before trying to rubbish this document.

Remember also that their national big brother party has had nearly two years since starting the withdrawal process and has yet to produce anything resembling an analysis of the likely outcomes of Brexit.

It is remarkable that instead of giving the Scottish Government’s document careful scrutiny, they chose to climb aboard the “SNP BAAAD!” train once again. All this manages to achieve is to highlight the fact that they have no clear direction, they have no plans, they have no idea, even now, what they want from this negotiation, other than to sate the rabid right wing of the most dysfunctional party in living memory.

It is also quite an unusual occurrence that Willie Rennie and the LibDems actually found the document “useful”, whatever that means, but at least they didn’t try and rubbish it. As usual, Scottish Labour don’t seem to have an opinion other than to try and claim that the SNP has stolen their ideas, which they probably stole from the SNP years ago.

So once again we are left with the sad and rather predictable sight of the Scottish Tories failing to engage meaningfully with the rest of Scottish politics. They retreat behind the Union Jack and holler “fake news” and bury their heads in the sand rather than confront the inconvenient truth.

That truth is that May and her bunch of wasters are selling us down the river, and there is no-one in that decrepit party willing to stand up for their country, their constituents and more so their consciences. Well if you are not willing to engage then stand out of the way, shut up altogether and let Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish Government and the other like-minded opposition parties get on with the day job.

Ade Hegney
Helensburgh

AFTER the First Minister presented the paper on Scotland’s Place in Europe we had a “scaremongering” outcry from the Tories and hand washing from Labour.

Of course both are experts on “Project Fear” so they will know what they are talking about. Then we had David Mundell telling us that Theresa had ordained that staying in the single market and customs union was “incompatible” with Brexit. Not telling us that in order to resolve the Irish border problem this is precisely what they will have to allow Northern Ireland to do, they just have not devised the weasel words yet.

Even with 68 per cent in Scotland wishing to stay in Europe I do not believe the Scottish Government can stop Brexit, and I think Nicola knows that. The negotiating skills of the UK Government have convinced me Phase 2 will be an utter shambles and before October this year we will know it. Therefore I say the Yes campaign for indyref2 should be started now. We cannot wait for the SNP, their hands are more or less tied politically, but we know they are with us. The fear is beginning to take hold in the Unionist camp because they know their leaders are incompetent. Even Nigel Farage has admitted they are losing. We on the other hand have a strong, stable and politically astute leader.

Gordon Robertson
Blairgowrie

AT risk of being categorised or castigated as a Philistine, I wish respectfully to draw the attention of the readership of this marvellous paper of ours to the picture accompanying the fine article “The Role of Art in the Metaphysics of Spring” (The National, January 15).

Poetic licence has been stretched to the limit by the artist here, by the representations of Adam and Eve, each with an umbilicus, neither of whom had natural parents.

One might call this petty criticism, nit-picking, or perhaps being right on the button! Sorry!!

Eric McArthur
Dalmuir