Far-right group needs to understand that there’s no such thing as a native Briton

Just what is a “native Briton” and how would you recognise one if you knew the answer?

Then there is the question of where to go after a session at the pub with your ethnic gang of Brits. Certainly, the local Indian and Chinese restaurants would not be available. Heaven help us should we not be able to purchase a fish supper without being served by a family of Middle Eastern descent.

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One could perhaps try tea and cake at Granny Green’s carry-out cafe I suppose but I doubt she would keep such late hours as to serve the local Brits on their post-pub session jaunts.

No, it would be “jolly difficult” to survive in a truly native country of native Brits. After all, we might question our own ancestry. What, with the Normans, Danes, Anglo -Saxons, Scottish, Welsh, Irish and more all invading or migrating from non-Briton countries over the centuries, it hardly gives the PA crowd much to shout about.

How do you recognise let alone define a native Brit? Bowler hat, pin stripes and brolly used to be the misconception. Today? I haven’t a clue.

Alan Magnus-Bennett
Fife

IAIN Forde’s letter (August 6) is absolutely right. Power needs to be reined. We need a written constitution to put before the electorate come indyref2.

It’s needed to ensure that our government never gets into the situation where power is corrupt. Get the overall essentials agreed pre-indyref and this can be added to when the first government of our independent Scotland takes office.

READ MORE: It’s folly to ask people to vote without producing a formal constitution

From the very start of the campaign, we need to be able to reassure folk that our Government won’t be able to disregard the law of the land, whoever is in power. That as a country we won’t tolerate discrimination such as the disgraceful treatment of Humza Yousaf and his family. That all minorities will be treated as equal citizens. That we will respect the environment and see that as part of our stewardship of planet earth. Surely this is a no-brainer?

And please, though it’s a separate topic, will someone please make it clear to the high heid yins in the SNP that without our own currency we will never be independent.

Catriona Grigg
Embo

JOANNA Cherry asks a loaded question of “how can we avoid a hard border?” but all her evidence and the prominence you give it is completely undermined in half a sentence: “... when Scotland rejoins the EU.”

This is a presumption. When Scotland becomes independent it will not be a member of the EU. It will still be a member of the Common Travel Area, an internationally agreed treaty that predates the establishment of the EU. People and goods will be able to be passed back and forward across borders to the benefit of all parties.

READ MORE: Here’s how an indy Scotland in the EU could avoid a hard border with the UK

It is always possible that one party such as the rUK would renege on this agreement, but why would they shoot themselves, and particularly their exporters, in the foot, creating barriers to trade not only with Scotland but with Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man?

Now I for one would like to rejoin the EU. But it is not a foregone conclusion. The terms of becoming a full or associate member of the EU, ETA, Efta or Schengen Agreement will have to be negotiated and put to the Scottish people. Part of this decision will be the effect on the Border with England, and I trust that it will be put to the public with far more honesty than Brexit. The important thing is that we will then be free to decide what is best for the people of Scotland.

Ian Richmond
Springfield

I READ with interest your article about plastic in birds’ nests. This threat has been known about since the early 2000s.

Rebecca Hosking, a documentary maker, made a film about the damage done to marine life, including birds. It was broadcast on TV and it was published in the Reader’s Digest.

Hosking described how she stepped ashore on to a Pacific island and couldn’t understand what the awful stench was.

She realised it was rotting flesh – parent birds were bringing plastic waste to feed their young thinking it was jellyfish. The babies were dying and when the body decomposed, the plastic was released into the environment to do the same to another chick.

Hosking showed her film to the traders in her hometown in Devon, and they all said they would never again give out plastic bags. Balloons do exactly the same damage.

To give any impression that this is a new threat is nonsense. I think it’s about time reports and words stopped and action started – ban all plastic bags, wrapping and rope!

Margaret Forbes
Kilmacolm

I AM not a user of any form of social media, so I must thank The National for the abridged post from Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp (Letters, Aug 4) in which I am in agreement with all his views.

Can I also belatedly praise his July 22 piece (Dismantling of devolution will be straw that breaks Union’s back). I learnt from it and it was excellent.

Gordon makes a very essential point in his post. We need at least one pro-Yes daily and Sunday paper. Without them our movement would be considerably weaker. This fact should be widely understood and appreciated within our movement.

Bobby Brennan
Glasgow