I REFER to your article about the National Trust for Scotland promoting British goods (NTS under fire for Union Jacks on Scots products, June 26). This has now become too prevalent to be just down to the individual choice of the shops and packaging companies. I am now of the very worried opinion that this is being instigated by the English Government at Westminster.
If you couple this with the fact that they have just announced their intention of distributing funds direct to Scottish councils, and bypassing the Scottish Government, then I believe it points very clearly to the intention to make everything “British” after Brexit.
READ MORE: National Trust for Scotland under fire for peak Union Jackery
That includes Scotland! Not just Scottish produce but Scotland itself. As all “Yessers” will already be aware they have already opened up an office in both Edinburgh in place of the Scottish Office.
I am becoming more and more certain within my own mind that the Scotland Act will be withdrawn by England and we will become nothing more than another English shire.
I would strongly urge Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government to get their legislation concerning Scotland’s right to hold referendums through before the Brexit shambles is completed.
I may well be wrong, but England has broken the terms of the Treaty of Union time after time and I feel sure they are getting ready to do the same with the Scotland Act.
We can’t rely on the Labour Party to stand up for Scotland’s interests, and the Brexit Party certainly will not. We’ve already seen Mundell trying to sell “British” whisky so that gives you an insight into the Tories’ attitude to Scotland after Brexit.
Therefore, this legislation needs to be in place and ready to be acted upon before October 31 – the next deadline. It is undoubtedly Scotland’s escape route. Hunt and Johnson have both said they will drag us out of the EU then, deal or no deal; and they have both stated they will not allow another Scottish independence referendum. So, we have to be ready to act immediately.
With this legislation in place we can hold a referendum and if we win it, as I’m sure we will, this time round, then we can, first of all, ask the Westminster Government to recognise it, and if they don’t then declare UDI.
We don’t need them, but they need us. Therefore, they will be unwilling to just let us go if they can avoid it. I don’t think they will “send in the troops”, as we have too much support from Europe. No doubt UNO and Nato would also condemn such an action. So, while it may be a last resort, UDI might well be forced upon us. But first we need the legislation in place to allow the referendum to take place. The Scottish peoples’ Sovereign Right has been recognised at Westminster so if we can show, by means of a genuine referendum, that we want independence then we should be able to force their hand.
I just hope we are not too late.
Charlie Kerr
Glenrothes
CONGRATULATIONS to Kevin McKenna on his excellent column on the Royal Family (The Windsors are nothing more than gangsters with unearned privilege, June 26) – the only family on state benefits who don’t have to fear the DWP!
READ MORE: The Windsors are nothing more than gangsters with unearned privilege
The existence of a royal family with inherited wealth and power is an insult to any country wanting to be described as a democracy and this is one of the many reasons I campaign for an independent Scotland.
Kevin McKenna highlights all that is wrong in this insufferable archaic institution. How must ex-service personnel feel seeing this mob of clowns parading about like toy soldiers with medals dripping off their chests? Can anyone tell me how Prince Edward, pictured, left, (or whatever his official title is) managed to get so many medals despite spending only a fortnight in the marines before running home to mummy?
Putting one family above all others, bestowing them palaces and estates, providing them handouts from the state to keep them in the luxury that most people couldn’t even dream of, simply highlights all that is wrong with the UK. Let’s ditch the royals when we’re making plans for a new Scotland. And for those that say they bring tourists to the country, well, so too does the Loch Ness monster but we don’t have to lavish it with taxpayer handouts!
Cllr Kenny MacLaren
Paisley
KEVIN’s article about the Windsors is “spot on”. I was furious when I heard Harry and Meghan had spent £2.4m of taxpayers’ money to do up their cottage. Many people are living in poverty, using food banks and in sub-standard accommodation. I thought this money could have been better spent on permanent housing for the victims of Grenfell Tower who are still living in temporary accommodation two years after the atrocity. The royalists will always sing the same tune “but they bring a lot of money into the UK” but the truth is we spend a huge amount of money on keeping them in the manner to which they are accustomed. The whole situation is obscene.
Susan Rowberry
Duns
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel