SO what if it was a No Deal or, as it is, a bad deal. Scotland is worse off either way. Scotland will still grow the Yes number just based on roaming charges, enforced passport controls, visas every time you drive across an EU border. It has become an inconvenience as well as a financial and job risk.

Those who have bought holiday homes in sunny France or Spain will now be able to use them for 99 days only in any one year. Or rather, they can only spend 99 days in any EU country a year. Otherwise they will be banned for the following year and possibly suffer a hefty fine.

It is these personal situations, which not even Westminster have possibly thought about, that will make a difference to Nicola Sturgeon’s re-election next May.

The job risk, higher shop prices, increased prices on imported cars and computers we all know about. For heaven’s sake, we have been told enough times of the Brexit financial risk and loss to the national economy worth £1600 per person.

Thankfully, Scotland can help to retain all this and more by voting for a huge SNP majority which exists for our independence. Let us not forget that. Every vote counts as a vote for Scotland’s independence.

Too wee, too poor, too weak? Not a chance. Scotland has and does produce everything that Westminster wants to keep for itself. Scotland is big enough, rich enough and strong enough to look after itself as an independent country.

Alan Magnus-Bennett

Fife

AS 2020 draws to a close, and we take time to reflect on the events of the past 12 months, the global pandemic has shown us just how fundamental the importance of good communication is, whether this be in the form of the physical interactions like social distancing or in our understanding of the information we get through television or social media.

Unfortunately, in this the age of fake news, the lies like those we are constantly being fed by Boris and his inept Cabinet narcissists, or presented to us daily by a mainstream Tory press, have made many people sceptical of believing almost anything they are told and they have now “turned off”, arguably the greatest success achieved by Mr Murdoch and his fellow press barons.

While it would be fair to say that since the start of the year many things have changed not for the better, newspaper journalism being one example, something which hasn’t suffered is the quality of the journalists employed by

The National and its sister paper the Sunday National. The importance of Scotland having a voice, expressed through your columns, cannot be overstated. Undoubtedly, in my book, worthy of claiming the title of “Newspaper of the Year”.

Alex Shearer

Cumbernauld

A FEW Edinburgh, women got together in 2013 and then, round a table, helped create Women for Independence (WFI). Edinwfi never went away post-indyref September 2014.

From then till now, we’ve held food bank collections, period poverty fundraising, provided practical help and campaigning. We’ve worked to help set up a school clothing bank; organised a specialised clothes appeal for women and children abroad; and supported both the Women’s Zone Edinburgh and LIFT, Muirhouse. All the while we’ve focussed – cross-party, no-party – on the goal of independence with regular monthly meetings, uninterrupted till Covid.

Our members are well aware of just how tough 2020 has been for women across Scotland, not least due to our lived experiences and those of our families and communities.

2020 is going to be marked as both the Covid and Brexit transition year, bringing heartache all round, the unwelcome additional layering to the ideological austerity imposed by Westminster over the last 10 years plus. But it’s also brought out the resilience, the support and solidarity, the acknowledgement of the dedication of frontline workers, volunteers and the never faltering independence fight.

To help, we’re kicking off 2021 with our revitalised, reorganised, revamped, renamed website and let’s face it, it had to be a .scot, didn’t it?

If the heartbreak of the referendum result in 2014 didn’t stop us, nothing will. And now it’s almost 2021 and what a momentous year it’s going to be.

In preparation then for Brexit, post-transition, Holyrood elections, and the indy fight, back to meetings sometime, campaigning, ootnaboots, letter boxing and all that will help secure independence for sure this time, please do have a look at www.edinburghwfi.scot. Consider saving a link in your “favourites” or “bookmarks”. You can also contact us via edinburghwfi@gmail.com

So here’s to 2021 and the belief in ourselves, our future, our indy Scotland...

Selma Rahman

For Edinwfi

A POEM for Hogmanay 20-21:

Yon sleekit virus

Is aye on the loose

Nae stravaigin!

Bide in the hoose.

Irene Evans

Muthill