Democracy has died in Britain ... but we can do a far better job

Forget that a second referendum was shunned, yet Theresa May took her bad deal before Parliament no less than three times, yet this was not deemed undemocratic.

Now we have the Government proroguing parliament. Effectively closing down opposition from the democratically elected representations of the people.

Westminster is a game, where a PM without the mandate of the electorate can dictate that opposition to his plan can be closed down. How in any way is this democracy in action?

Are we to return powers ceded to the EU to be controlled by latter-day dictators who abuse the spirit and terms of our political government to suit the whims of minority vested interest?

British democracy is in its final throes. The reality of who controls the system is now patently clear. Our system not run for the common good, but the money men fearing EU money-laundering regulation.

They get tax evasion rights, we get the loss of jobs and the near 15% fall in the value of the £ making us all poorer.

Democracy has died in Britain. Scotland will do better with independence.
Jim Taylor
Edinburgh

STEP forward/down/aside, Ruth Davidson, now ex-leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, who recounts how she looked into the eyes of PM A Johnson, leader of the UK Government, as he clearly and unambiguously tells her that he wants a Brexit deal, then she adds the variant afterthought on “leaving as I wish to spend more time with my family”.

Whoosh, there ends the potential for Ukip/Brexit Party prodigal sons’ mass return to the Tory Party fold, as they seek a hard, abrupt and final Brexit. Ms Davidson’s pre-emptive retaliatory election revenge on PM A Johnson, now getting ready for the post October 31 Brexit General Election, was dished out both coldly, and with a ruthlessness, that many people in Scotland would not seek to have aimed in their direction.

Coming back to the awful reality that is Brexit, it is clear that the UK landmass lays between Ireland (EU) and the continental EU. Traffic/trade corridors which traverse both Scotland and NI between the EU nation states clearly need to be greatly enhanced. Together with such enhancement, both Scotland and NI need to be embedded either fully, or temporarily to some lesser degree, within the EU.

Indyref2 and YES2 would only partly achieve this corridor, with the thorny issue of NI and direct rule/devolved rule/reunification arising in any such discussions. Scotland needs to be a northern hub for such trade links, but getting there will be fraught, probably requiring the coldness and ruthlessness exemplified by Ruth Davidson.

Perhaps the new Scottish Citizens’ Assembly could initially take up some limited connection with the Irish Citizens’ Assembly, to try to facilitate some discussion between the various protagonists in NI and their neighbours. If, as I expect, Scottish Tory Party fortunes are reversed in Scotland, there may well be an opening for the likes of Ruth Davidson as a facilitator to such all-party discussions.
Stephen Tingle
Greater Glasgow

WITH polls showing Scottish Conservatives wiped from the map at an upcoming General Election, it is inconceivable that one who boasts triumph having boosted party success beyond all expectations would seek to continue as party leader with two glaring opportunities/excuses to apparently innocently step aside.

Imagine the humiliation and demise of her reputation had Ruth Davidson remained, if indeed the Scottish Tories are washed from our shores by the march of time and truth revealed.

No doubt those remaining will shuffle the deck chairs and inevitable fool only themselves.
Tom Gray
Braco

IN all the furore of the recent announcement by the PM to prorogue parliament, the one that stands out, for me at least, is the hypocrisy of the Cabinet members who only a few weeks ago condemned such an action, and are now with their silence condoning it.

Hypocrite-in-chief has to be MP Matt Hancock. Only a few weeks ago, in his pitch for the Tory leadership, he invoked the image of brave men storming the Normandy beaches, in the cause of democracy. A few weeks later he trashes that image by selling his soul for a Cabinet post and a ministerial limo. These people are beyond contempt.
Terry Keegans
Beith, North Ayrshire

NOTE to Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon.

Subject: Brexit Solution The EU has agreed in the past to a Northern-Ireland-only backstop and to an all-UK backstop.

There is no reason they would not agree to an NI-and-Scotland-only backstop.

The SNP could agree to vote for such a revised withdrawal agreement in return for a section 30 to be used during the two-year transition period.

The 35 SNP votes more than counter the loss of the 10 DUP votes.

Boris Johnson becomes the hero who saved England from becoming a vassal state and the man who got a deal when no one else could.

He’s a genius and definitely the man to be in charge of negotiations on the future relationship.

Cue General Election at a time of his choosing and his return with a working majority. He can even claim to be respecting democracy as Scotland and NI voted remain while England and Wales voted leave.

Meanwhile, Scotland remains in EU. Regulatory alignment when indyref2 is called makes EU membership easier. A clear route to the SNP’s aim of an independent Scotland in the EU.

Johnson may have to delay his fire sale during the two-year transition period, but he will have a five-year term and full control of UK/EU negotiations and trade talks.

Mrs Merkel gave him 30 days to solve the Irish border problem. This is it.

Nicola, get on the phone to Boris and save Scotland from a No-Deal Brexit.

Boris, get on the phone to Angela and take your place as the great statesman you always knew you were. Job done. You know it makes sense.
Phil Devitt
Erskine

I HAVE always been of the “ca’ canny” persuasion. Wait until we have a Yes vote of 60% (OK, 55% then), wait until the tide turns, wait until we know the effects of Brexit... and so on and so forth. And I have supported Nicola’s stance against Brexit and her attempts to compromise and find a deal. I understand why she did it; but it hasn’t worked in any sense. It hasn’t worked to give us a good Brexit deal (if such a thing exists), and it hasn’t worked to make people believe that she wants the best for the whole UK. However, I completely fail to understand why we – why Scotland, why the SNP – want to waste energy stopping the prorogation of Westminster.

Westminster has nothing to do with us. We have sent excellent MPs to Westminster as an interim measure and they have done their level best (not that that has had much effect either; how could it). But the time for that is over. We have played by the rules, but the rules no longer apply. It is no longer business as usual in Westminster; nobody is even pretending that it is. If they can shut down Westminster, they can shut down Holyrood. What felt like a remote possibility is now a likely probability. If there is a dictatorship in England, we do not want to be dictated to. If there is civil war in England (don’t mock; it has happened before) we do not want to be dragged into it.

Our parliament is Holyrood and our country is Scotland. Independence is normal. Now’s the time, and now’s the hour.
Max Marnau
Selkirk

I WOULD like to agree to the different letters in Thursday’s National about the need for action from the SNP Government.

If the suspension of Westminster goes ahead, this time should be used to further the independence cause.

Let’s see some action from our Government in the face of this onslaught. Nice-sounding words are no longer enough. If the SNP genuinely believe in the independence cause, let’s see some action to prove it. If not, the SNP are just another pointless talking shop.
David Kirkman
Symington

THERE is some upset going on in the SNP concerning ways of gaining independence.

So far I have seen no mention of the vital matter of international recognition. The surefire way to gain international recognition of Scottish independence is via a Section 30 order and winning a referendum. Were we to claim independence on a referendum run without a Section 30 order, this would leave it open to other countries not to recognise our independence because they could regard it as a Unilateral Declaration of Independence and withhold recognition.

The same problem could arise if the vast majority of Scotland’s MPs were elected on an independence ticket or Scottish independence was declared on the basis of a large vote in the Scottish Parliament elections.

International recognition is vital for any country, without that a state does not exist regardless of what its inhabitants think. Without recognition, trade and foreign relations are very difficult, and it is virtually impossible to control the economic zone. I believe the Scottish Government are well aware of this, but they would be wise to spell it out to their members to cool off some of the understandable impatience.

None of this would obviate an alternative method to independence, but first the English Government would have to show complete intransigence to a legitimate majority’s demands thus leaving it open for other countries to take note of such unreasonable behaviour.
R Mill Irving Gifford, East Lothian ON July 4, 2018, the sovereign right of the Scottish people was debated in the House of Commons. After a heated debate, which you can read in Hansard, he motion that the Scottish people are sovereign was passed without dissent.

The Scottish people can, therefore, instruct the Scottish Parliament to hold a referendum on rescinding the Treaty of the Union of the Scottish and English Parliaments. No Section 30 order required.
William Purves
via email

BORIS Johnson has done the country a favour. The Conservatives will never be voted in again.
Roberta Buchan, Edinburgh
via text