AS water leaks through the crumbling Westminster roofs and its labyrinth of corridors, it has been found greatly wanting and completely unable to deal with modern challenges.

The Brexit debates, like a dangerous football, have thrown everything up in the air – with no written constitution, or interactive democracy. Other leaders are aghast at how out-of-touch and not-fit-for-purpose Westminster is.

Three years ago, in 2016, before all this Brexit happened, few really cared about whether the UK was in or out of the EU, and I never saw anyone marching on the streets over this EU question. It was simply an institution like Nato or the Commonwealth, that was an important and accepted part of our lives. (People are marching, though, against climate change: we may only have 10 years to save our planet!) Britain has suffered severe upheavals and ups and downs – before the dark days of war, the strikes of the late 60s, the Thatcher years, the Iraq war during Blair. The 2008 crash crisis worldwide. It seemed that the EU offered some stability and also peace and prosperity, surely important issues?

So why did those in England want to leave the EU, and blamed the EU even, with the rise of Ukip? What was going on? Is this merely an uprising of populist far-right bigotry as some argue? Or something much deeper? Why do some English voters believe England is not a sovereign country that is simply operating in a trading union?

An embarrassment. It’s extremely worrying – the decay, incompetence and inability to govern this whole process has highlighted.

Many appear to forget the boom and bust we used to suffer in Britain before we joined the EU 40 years ago. It meant high interest rates, inflation and all kinds of suffering and uncertainty. That’s what will be in store for us again once we leave the stability provided by being in the EU.

This is partly driven by the fact that Germany, as a particularly clear example, always aims for a stable economy based on solid manufacturing, rather than the uncertainty and debt-ridden roulette of the London financial markets.

The UK has been led by a poor leader, who is unable to empathise or collaborate. Why are MPs pursuing an ill-thought-out policy that will make us all poorer? Why was there no real planning or idea of what Brexit really meant? What was it really all about? Restoring past glories? Keeping the UK union together, when the cracks only get wider? Restoring Britishness and Union Jacks? I’m really worried about the Americanisation here in the UK and the privatising of health care and more. Where will all this eventually lead?

The British Tory ship steams ahead, with no destination, no captain and no map. What are we Scots to do? Can BritNats and ScotNats exist side by side? Should we scramble for life rafts – or accept this laughable chaos? Or instead take control of our own Scottish resources?

For now we need to let the anchors rise and the dust settle – and why does Nicola have explain her every move, when other politicians explain nothing? Why are our respected MPs snubbed as irrelevant? It’s insulting to the Scots nation.

Scotland needs to protect its significant resources by emulating countries like Norway, which is in Efta (the European Free Trade Association) and also sets regulations to protect its environment, industries and by promoting Norway’s own oil company (which prevents multi-nationals exploiting their wealth).

There are many examples of small, independent nations that operate very successfully in a larger trading bloc. There are no examples of a country operating successfully in a trading bloc, and then deciding to leave these treaties with no plan over its future!

All we know is Brexit means leaving present agreements, but not what its supports actually want! What a mess. One good thing Brexit has highlighted though: it has shown clearly how nations really do work in a union of equals ... and no, I do not mean the UK union!

Why do I want independence? I believe a nation is best served making its own decisions, in its own best interests – and that those in a foreign nation are not best able to make decisions for us. To flourish, Scotland must break free of the chains of English colonisation and be an independent European nation once again.
P Keightley
Glasgow