I UNDERSTAND there are plans afoot from the Westminster government to include any Scots currently living in England. This is wonderful news – they obviously don`t realise why there are so many ex-Scots who now live in England.
Now without wishing to get too historical, and just going back to the period after the last war, Scots, being the hard workers that they are, had to drift south for jobs. This created the steel town of Corby, and many others, mainly populated by Scots.Then we had instances like Keillers of Dundee (makers of preserves). These and many other Scottish industries were closed, and the work and expertise moved south. More kept closing. Ravenscraig Steel, which at the time was reported to be producing more tonnage per man of the best quality steel than any other plant, was sold and the work moved to Wales.
Well now, why is this latest move such wonderful news? To explain, if there are English residents who will be offered the vote, the SNP will have to be allowed to canvas. Indeed a full-blooded campaign can be mounted to explain why so many Scots moved in the first place, and how welcome they will be if they want to return home to an independent country.
Ian Rankine
Milngavie
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon responds to Michael Gove's 'sneering, arrogant' indyref claims
I WAS born in England 75 years ago to English-born parents, though my mother had a Scottish-born grandfather and cousins through his sister.
I came to Scotland to work when I was 30, and have stayed here since, meaning more than half of my life has been spent here. At the time I came here, a friend who was born in Edinburgh married and moved to my home town, where he has been since then.
It would appear there are those on the Unionist side who want him to have a vote on Scottish independence in the hope that he will vote No, while I will presumably vote No because I’m regarded as English and an older voter.
Over the years I have settled into Scottishness thanks to my Scottish wife, and though not a football fan, I am gutted that Scotland didn’t make it further in the Euros.
I was asked by a neighbour yesterday if I thought of going back to my home town, but I assured her I never will. Scotland is my home. I wish to die in a Scotland which is free from English rule. The people of Scotland, from wherever they originally come, are the ones who should make that decision, and as soon as possible.
Robert Mitchell
Alva
ALAN Thompson’s indignation (Website comments, June 22) is justified, of course, regarding the idea that expat Scots resident elsewhere in the UK should be allowed to vote in the next indyref.
Couple that with the demographic distortion that nearly 10% of Scottish residents are (mostly) English “incomers” – a perfectly appropriate word and not necessarily pejorative – and you have loaded the dice against a Yes result. How can that be reasonable?
READ MORE: Kevin McKenna: There's a sinister aspect to Tory plot to manipulate indyref2
In those circumstances I would support the quid pro quo that Scottish residents from the other three UK "nations" should either be barred from voting (in constitutional matters) or only after some years of residence. As that will cause a “stooshie” and be rejected by Westminster, so also must their crude wheeze.
The Scottish Parliament and Government should absolutely refuse to cooperate, laugh it out of court and hold our own unilateral poll. I believe European and world opinion would back us.
David Roche
Coupar Angus
IT is good to see that the SNP have now explained the position regarding the campaign money (SNP: Every penny of £600k fund will be spent winning indy, June 21). However, this whole issue could have been totally avoided if the SNP's accounts showed such money as “restricted funds”, in the same way in which charities are obliged by law to show it. I hope they will now change to this method. Holding an internal note of such money under the heading of “expressions of wish”’ was a furore waiting to happen.
Dennis White
Blackwood
READ MORE: SNP's new national treasurer releases statement on £600,000 for indyref2
HAVING read Colin Beattie’s statement about the £666,953 members’ contribution to help to support a second independence referendum, I now understand how that money is recorded as a separate identity in the accounts.
However, what I do not understand is how the current resultant figure of £615,193 (£666,953 less expenditure of £51,760) does not show the accounts being at least this amount in credit.
George McKnight
West Calder
ALAN Turing has been immortalised on a £50 note and rightly so. It is unlikely that one will find its way into my pocket any time soon.
The last time I had a £50 note was many years ago in circumstances that now escape me. I had left my car in a city centre car park in the evening to have a meal with my daughter and her friend prior to them taking the train back to school. When I returned to get the car, the park had closed. My wife was obliged to drive through with her car and pick me up.
The next day I returned with her to the car park and explained to the attendant that I didn’t know the car park would be closed, but he insisted I pay an overnight charge.
Entirely coincidently and in all innocence, the only money I had was the aforementioned £50 note, which I duly held out to him. He took one look at it in disgust, waved it away and opened the barrier for me.
You know, it might not be such a bad idea having an Alan Turing around, just in case...
Mike Herd
Highland
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