I NORMALLY look forward to reading Kevin McKenna’s articles because of his forthright and witty observations on current affairs, even though he has expressed “the party line” view that those who want Brexit are all Rees-Mogg, British Empire apologists who want to grab power from the working man and woman (Tories are ready to sacrifice our futures to serve their ambitions, December 12). Mr McKenna, you are letting yourself down to perpetuate this partial truth. Yes, some Brexiteers are like this, but there is a compelling case against membership of the EU which is not right-wing-driven.
In her Long Letter yesterday, Julia Pannell sums up the problems many anti-right-wing Scottish independence supporters have with the EU, and the SNP’s blinkered attachment to it: “Its love of the EU is undiminished despite CETA, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Italy and the unedifying sight of Spanish police bludgeoning Catalan independence-supporting politicians without trial”.
Daily, recently, The National has published reports of the latest moves by the Spanish Government to crush freedom of political expression. For goodness' sake, duly elected Catalan politicians are so desperate that they are going on hunger strike to attempt to influence the Spanish Government and, crucially, the EU. In my opinion, this will be in vain because the EU “does not interfere in the internal workings of its member states”, which seems to me to be a shameful position to adopt when democracy is being denied to Catalans using methods favoured by dictators now and in the past.
Mr McKenna asks why Jeremy Corbyn and Labour “fail miserably to oppose May”. Perhaps it’s because, as a left-wing politician, he sees the shortcomings of the EU and sees the futility of attempting to negotiate with them.
Mr McKenna accuses the Westminster politicians who started the withdrawal meetings as holding them in a mood of “open contempt and disdain”. I don’t like David Davis, Boris Johnson et al any more than he does, but when it comes to open contempt and disdain, Jean-Claude Juncker is hard to beat and as for negotiating in good faith, I suggest that Mr McKenna actually listens to what Michel Barnier and Donald Tusk have repeated endlessly: they only care about protecting the EU. Yet the autocratic rule of leaders of the EU, Macron and Merkel in particular, are being challenged by their own people because they favour the rich over the poor.
One gilet jaune, a middle-aged and probably normally non-rebellious participant in a recent demonstration in Paris, told a reporter, “c’est une guerre civile”. Such is the public anger in France about Macron’s imposition of EU neoliberal economics that he has had to back down and apologise to the French people. Angela Merkel is now a spent force in EU politics.
So, Mr McKenna, be fair, reconsider your view of those who want to leave the EU. We are not all “hard right of the Conservative and Unionist party”. Many of us are life-long nationalists who want an independent Scotland to be free of the neoliberal economics demanded by the EU.
Lovina Roe
Perth
READ MORE: It's hard to envisage any EUref2 scenario that would further our cause
IN 2014, the independence referendum was fought specifically on a proposal that would have seen an independent Scotland remain in the EU. That garnered 45%.
I would respectfully suggest that if any one of that 45% would rather be a subservient vassal state in a post-Brexit UK, rather than a a full partner in the EU, then they are misguided.
If the Brexit process has taught us anything, it is that Ireland has had her voice heard and respected by 26 European partners, whereas Scotland has had her voice ignored by London – and therefore, by extension, England – at every turn since the 2016 referendum result was known.
Independence within the EU is STILL independence. The alternative to independence – in or out of the EU – is simply unacceptable.
Kevin Cordell
Broughty Ferry, Dundee
I THINK Nicola Sturgeon has made a huge blunder in entering the Brexit debate and appointing a Minister for Brexit. She then said she wanted the best Brexit deal for the United Kingdom. May’s plan for Brexit, as would any other put forward, said that it would protect the integrity of the Union – two words that do not sit comfortably together.
In my opinion we should have taken a stand that we wanted out of the Union before any Brexit and demanded independence. Our MPs in Westminster should have been instructed to leave their cushy billet in London to campaign here for independence.
It is obvious that there is more to the Brexit plan than to leave the EU; it is also to create a Union flag-waving unitary state. After Brexit, far from getting a referendum, the SNP is more likely to find itself a proscribed organisation.
Ronald Livingstone McNeill
Strachur
WHAT supreme excellent timing for the confirmation to come through on Monday that the UK can unilaterally revoke Article 50. What tenacity of those who brought the case, when even we probably have to admit most of us did not realise just how important the decision would be.
But for the final decision to come in now, when May and the whole Brexit “clusterborouch” (ehhm, “Bùrach” please!) is falling down around their ears. I know I shouldn’t really, but I have to take great delight that it is a bunch of Scottish parliamentarians (+1 English lawyer) who have thrown this big spanner in the works, when May has consistently ignored and snubbed Scotland.
I think the expression I hear is “that will teach you!”
Crìsdean Mac Fhearghais
Dùn Eideann
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