WITH the latest Progress Scotland poll undertaken by Survation showing that 67% of Scots want an independent Scotland to be a full member of the EU, and 33% do not, the warning from Professor Carla Ponsati MEP about EU apathy towards the plight of Catalonian democracy is a political alarm which Scotland must heed (‘Clara Ponsati: Why Scotland should be worried by the EU’s silence on Catalonia’, October 12).

READ MORE: Clara Ponsati: Why Scotland should be worried by the EU’s silence on Catalonia

The EU line about non-interference in Spanish internal affairs, with Madrid having a very poor record of human rights indeed towards the Catalonian people, sits very uneasily with decades of EU prevarication over Turkish entry to the EU on the fundamental basis that Turkey had a poor human rights record. Brussels voices its concerns only when its own perceived interests at at stake, as in covertly undermining Yes in 2014 and overtly since vocally stating its opposition to all of Europe’s independence movements. This does not give cause for optimism concerning how Brussels would treat an independent Scotland.

Many Scots who voted Leave in 2016 and who continue to seek a constitutional future for Scotland outwith the EU were, and are, extremely supportive of continuing trade and commerce Europe wide. It is rather the relentless integrationist vision of the EU establishment which we oppose. It is very interesting that many Yes supporters wax lyrically about how EU membership has benefited Ireland. They too undoubtedly benefited from EU trade but it has to be said that the official policy of Fianna Fail, to whom the current Taoiseach belongs is now for reform of the Eurozone and the EU. It seems that the view now of EU centralisation from Dublin is no different than that of the view from Barcelona.

Councillor Andy Doig (Independent)
Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood, and Lochwinnoch Ward

ON the subject of the Union David Cameron invited Scotland to stay and lead us, well we stayed and we have led but the UK Government doesn’t listen (‘Brexit and Nicola Sturgeon’s Covid response ‘driving support for Scottish independence’’, October 12).

Today [Monday] in Westminster Boris Johnson has once again followed Scotland’s lead in action on Covid which we had to introduce without knowing if the UK Chancellor was going to allow us to fund it. We need the freedom to decide the best policies for Scotland and the power to fund them.

READ MORE: Brexit and Nicola Sturgeon's Covid response 'driving support for Scottish independence'

We have tried but it is time to leave our reluctant partner behind as Scotland can no longer afford the drag and delay of having to either wait or second guess the UK Government’s response to pressing events.

John Jamieson
South Queensferry

A NO-DEAL Brexit would surely be expected to deliver a devaluation to the Great British Pound, which would both negate the price advantage that cheaper foreign non-EU products currently have, and negate the onerous EU tariffs also being applied to UK exports.

However, EU Euro workers would be disincentivised from taking up relatively low paid lower value GBP jobs in the UK, and similarly UK GBP workers would be incentivised to work in the EU for higher value Euros. One of the logical outcomes of this, is that the numbers of EU workers for the UK health and social care system would be reduced, and at the same time the tax base of UK workers working in the wealthier EU would ensure less funding is available for the health and social care system in the UK.

Should Scotland choose to use the euro, or tie a new Scottish currency tied to the euro, then UK GBP migrant workers (after GBP devaluation) would then also be more incentivised to work in Scotland’s health and social care system, and pay tax in Scotland.

Scotland needs to be capable of dual currency use, at least to the level of NI, and preferably more, if independence from the No-Deal Brexit UK is to be best facilitated. It goes without saying that any Scotland/UK divorce settlements should be referenced in Euros, until the citizens of Scotland decide just how European they wish to be.

Stephen Tingle

CAN someone please explain to me why we are bothering with indyref2? It is clear the Act of 1707 was no beacon of democratic accountability.

It is clear that the conventional rules related to honest governance and the rule of law have been abandoned by the English Parliament and its leader, Dominic Cummings. Still our government insists on playing by the old and abandoned rule book.

Is it not time someone in the SNP Government, if not Nicola Sturgeon, took a more aggressive tone with Westminster and started making life difficult for the undemocratic English Nationalists and their poodles north of the Border. It is clear Dominic Cummings will not allow Boris to sanction a second referendum, so we need to take more control of this ourselves. What other British colony asked permission to leave?

The Americans, that the Tories currently copy, fought a war to be independent. Why is the Scottish Government so acquiescent?

David Kirkman Symington I HAD to laugh when I saw the retraining advert featuring a ballerina. My experience of seeking retraining (albeit 30 years ago), was that it was a cynical PR job by government to be seen doing something while not actually doing more than window dressing. Unless things have changed, it will consist of a superficial course of about six weeks with no real outcome at the end. The raising of false hopes and a visible “doing something” were all that were on offer.

Drew Reid
Falkirk