THURSDAY’S letter by Doreen Moran (Dumfries and Galloway must not be treated as an add-on to England, December 19) revealed, for me at least, some very interesting points on the backdoor anglification of our Border constituencies.

Whilst the majority approve our Holyrood government’s policy of welcome for all who wish to immigrate to Scotland, and risking the accusation of xenophobia, the matter of uncontrolled immigration and media mind-management deserves closer study. We should not ignore the lessons around the world where nations have lost their identity, culture and for many, the very existence of their people through (both peaceful and aggressive) immigrant assimilation.

READ MORE: Dumfries & Galloway must not be treated as an add-on to England

There is a political imperative apart from a feeling of welcome to others behind this invitation, but we need only look at the results of the recent General Election to see that not only have all three Scotland’s Border constituencies stayed “add-ons to England”, but every single constituency on Wales’s eastern border with England has Unionist rather than Plaid Cymru MPs. It cannot be an accident.

The anglification of Northern Ireland follows the same pattern, but can be explained away for reasons of religion and historically approved colonisation: there we see an interesting pattern of awareness emerging.

We can at the moment do little about the hundreds of thousands of acres owned by the fiefdoms of Stair, Buccleugh and Roxburghshire, and the arguable influence this may have on the electorate, but surely something could be done immediately on restructuring the postal and TV services. Sanquhar is close to the centre of the three constituencies but as the first post office in Scotland (and, by the way, the world, established in 1712) which is today threatened with closure, perhaps the Post Office (Scotland) might look into keeping it open for old times’ sake. The lack of good roads east to west would preclude it becoming the Southern Regional Head Office, but what’s wrong with Dumfries?

The lack of TV is a network problem, and surely solvable if Holyrood decides to make it happen. It needs to be done now.

Gordon Benton
Newburgh, Aberdeenshire

I SO welcome the letter from Doreen Moran, Thornhill – we feel exactly the same in the Scottish Borders, the same borderlands as you!

Though not a “borderer” but living in Coldstream for 18 years, I regularly observe from my fellow Borderers that they feel subservient to the local Duke or Earl “in the big house”! For me it beggars belief, and we all deserve better than this. A brilliant Radio 4 broadcast this week drew comparison with Adam Johnson, the first US President to be impeached, and Donald Trump. Adam Johnson supported slavery and that also beggars belief.

Yet again, we have a Westminster government that the large majority in Scotland voted AGAINST and I welcome the possibility of D&G working with rest of the Scottish Borders to persuade our fellow “non-believers” that Scotland is BIG enough, SMART enough to be independent and to generate a government of our own choosing.

Alex Thomson
Coldstream

LIKE Doreen Moran from Thornhill, I am very frustrated with the so-called Border Television, and like most Borders residents stopped watching it years ago, as it only has relevance if you come from Cockermouth or Carlisle and the product broadcast is of extremely poor quality.

The big Border land mass being controlled or owned by the Dukedoms is a challenge and a bit of a hurdle for the independence team to get over or around, but is not the big problem.

I feel the big problem is not who votes, but who does not or cannot vote. That is the big problem the independence banner needs to address quickly and carefully in these areas of Scotland.

If you look at the turnout figures in Dumfries and Galloway or in Roxburgh, Selkirk and Berwickshire areas, it’s the 26% -30% not voting that is the big issue, I feel.

The Tory vote never alters! The Liberal vote is still there but moves in the Tory direction if threatened by the SNP and frightened by the Tories ... and that is a class thing! The Labour vote is so small and stays the same, it does not make a difference. But the numbers are there to make a difference with the non-turnout team.

It is great to see the action and interaction the Extinction Rebellion movement is having with the youth across the Borders. Hopefully this integration is bringing the awareness that will kindle the fire and interest to be politically active and vote! And bring these very high non-voting percentages down and get these greedy, heartless, non-caring Tories voted out in the southern areas of rural Scotland.

Ian Thomson
Gordon, Berwickshire

DOREEN Moran’s letter on Scottish news being non-existent in the Borders was excellent. If we are going to have super broadband everywhere, why not TV and radio first?

JB Clark
Dundermline