DISAPPOINTED to read Mr Mundell the Elder (MP), and Mr Tomkins (MSP) revelling in the so-called May confidence vote victory, and the Scottish Parliament’s Continuity Bill being subverted by UK Government chicanery.
Now we have Ms Kate Hoey (MP) seeming to propose that being anti-Brexit is to align with IRA violence, and Mr Daniel Hannan (MEP) suggesting that there is no democracy in the UK outwith the 2016 referendum Brexit vote.
The subversion of reality, a lack of fundamental honesty, a lack of technical competence and a lack of moral integrity is what they demonstrably showcase on behalf of the Ukip/Tory parties and their fellow travellers.
Despite the Brexit lies, the simple stark choice is whether governance in the UK is to be centred upon a democratic managed EU nation economy(s), or an unmanaged sovereign nation economy.
An essentially fair society is possible in a managed EU-centric market if social enterprise plays a significant role, but the alternate unmanaged Brexit route provides new impetus to privatisation, and cuts to Universal Credit that even Ms McVey daren’t yet contemplate.
Make no mistake, Brexit is essential to preventing a rekindling of a fair society that even Thatcher couldn’t quite destroy. For the avoidance of doubt, I am not saying that all those supporting Brexit oppose a fair society, simply that Brexit inevitably assists such Thatcherite policies.
Stephen Tingle
Greater Glasgow
READ MORE: Pro-Leave Labour MP Kate Hoey: Ireland can pay for border posts after Brexit
I DESPAIR over the situation now pertaining to Brexit and devolved powers. The Supreme Court (an English court) has had the courtesy to comment on the competence of our parliament but has ruled against due to the legal machinations of the UK Government aided and abetted by our own Presiding Officer (on whose legal advice?).
We in Scotland have suffered centuries of legal vandalism from England since before the Union and this will only accelerate now that a precedent has been set.
Let us offer England the opportunity to gain independence from Scotland, which so obviously eats up so much of their resources in subsidy. They can then regain their control over their borders, their laws and their money and we can meet the needs of our nation from our own resources. We can decide whether to join the EU, align to the EU or be outwith the EU. We can decide who crosses our borders to join our society. We can order our affairs to best serve all our citizens including the fishermen and farmers, business people and financiers, academia etc.
I wish to issue a challenge to the Scottish legal profession: read the law and the history of the Union and build the case for dissolution of the Union on the grounds of breach of a treaty. Our courts can rule on this and then we can take the political decision to let the English nation go their own way.
David Neilson
Dumfries
READ MORE: WATCH: Mike Russell schools Sky News presenter on Supreme Court ruling
OVER the last few weeks, hearing the frequent contributions from Bertie Armstrong and Ross Thomson, one could be forgiven thinking that “the Scottish fishing industry” has a single voice, ie one in favour of Brexit.
Hats off, then, to Isabel Fraser (Good Morning Scotland, Saturday edition) who, in interviews with Peter Chapman MSP (Scottish Tory fishing spokesman) last week and with Fergus Ewing on Saturday, queried who speaks for Scottish fishing in terms of Brexit, making the point that the inshore and pelagic fishers and fish processors have distinctive attitudes to the kind of Brexit they want; something Mr Chapman did agree with.
It is unfortunate that Scottish ministers have not been vocal enough to clarify that the creel and white fish sectors generally see Brexit from different points of view, and that fish processing, which relies on migrant labour and whose voice is rarely heard, has more employees than the commercial fishery, which Mr Armstrong represents.
In addition, Mr Ewing gave a fuzzy response to Isabel’s questions 1) Why fishing quota has been allowed to be concentrated in a handful of families, and 2) What can be done to rectify this unsatisfactory state of affairs.
Scottish Tories and Mrs May have managed to convince most of the UK media that the dominant Brexit issue for Scotland is the future of the country’s fishing industry and that that industry welcomes Brexit. Neither is true, and the Scottish Government, SNP MPs and MSPs need to ensure the accurate picture is given much more emphasis.
Roddie Macpherson
Avoch
THE people of Scotland have a simple choice to make: either become an equal member of the European Union along with 27 other independent nations, or remain as a vassal state in a union of one. It’s a no-brainer!
Solomon Steinbett
Glasgow
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