One won’t answer

Published on 25/06/2012 00:00

Johann Lamont says “All the parties agree that a single question is what we want” (your report, 23 June).

That may be what the parties want, but such an approach would ill-serve the people of Scotland. No “one question” approach can deliver a decisive result on Scotland’s constitutional future – no matter how the question is worded.

The politicians must recognise that three possible outcomes have significant support among the electors. That has been the position for several years and it still is, as confirmed by polls published this very week. The only way to obtain a decisive result when there is significant support for three possible positions is to ask two questions.

The two questions could be on the same ballot paper in a single-stage referendum or they could be asked separately in a two-stage referendum. The wording of the two questions would have to be different for a single-stage and a two-stage referendum. But there would have to be TWO questions. Nothing else can deliver a decisive result.

JAMES GILMOUR

East Parkside Edinburgh