NOW that we have witnessed yet another bizarre Tory government fiasco, meltdown of fiscal policy, revolt of government ministers, turmoil of financial stability and loss of confidence in UK governmental matters by the more influential foreign communities, is it time once and for all that those planning our independence strategy actually spell out our future monetary direction?

We have just witnessed the near instant collapse of sterling and all our pensions being one small step from Armageddon.

Why do the people of Scotland continue to entrust our financial future(s) to such an incapable entity with half baked ideas as Westminster truly is? For all the wisdom, experience, knowledge, insider information and dirty tricks available to the UK Government, they still cocked it up on a gargantuan scale. There was no Plan B!

The country just managed to avert disaster on a scale not previously recognised by any other leading country.

I strongly urge the independence leadership to seize this moment and create an opportunity to better state the future fiscal policy of an independent Scotland.

I’m sure it’s not lost on many Scottish voters that a future sterling-dependant Scotland would have absolutely no control, input, influence or judgement on any similar situation post-independence.

I do not know the answer or solution to the quandary of future fiscal policy. But I’m sure we have the skills and expertise to develop a policy, work out the benefits and disadvantages of differing proposals.

What is the benefit of being an independent Scotland with a currency controlled by morons in Westminster?

Should such a step or process not be fundamental to the independence process?

We must get a policy out there in the public domain, get it accepted by the people of Scotland, not just at a party conference – these are just talking shops for the political elite.

Dollars, euros, pounds, renminbi or yen, we must decide, and decide soon.

Central Bank and prudent fiscal management policy require development and acceptance.

I recall a similarly worded letter I had published many many years ago. I cannot see any real progress on the matter over the past decade.

Simply put, without this cast-iron policy, I fear that there will never ever be a successful independence vote.

Monetary policy is the Achilles’ heel of the campaign, it always has been and it always will be.

Money is king, and the learning point should have been the Darien fiasco 330 years ago. In reality, we are where we are simply because of the financial failures that resulted following the collapse of this get-rich-quick scheme planned and plotted by a similarly inept and inexperienced leadership group. The resulting beneficiaries being the people 350 miles south of Edinburgh.

Hopefully the above experience will not be repeated, but learned from.

Dougie Gray

Dunbar

Is it just me? I find it hard to believe that the BBC is getting more biased! The BBC evening news on Tuesday reported that

Douglas Ross had stated that the most vulnerable in society must be protected. Not one comment from the broadcaster that he told the Scottish Government last week to follow the tax changes that Westminster were trying to put through. This made it sound like he is sympathetic to the poor.

How much more of this distorted rubbish will we be forced to listen to? Makes you think of refusing to pay your licence fee.

R Pitcairn

Kirkcudbright