Britain undone

So Colin Wilson (Letters, 7 April) claims "the UK is formed by uniting three kingdoms". Actually, it is two kingdoms, a principality and a province.

A large majority of Ireland is no longer a part of the UK. Therefore to describe the province of Northern Ireland as a kingdom is nonsense.

THOMAS MURRAY

Cairns Crescent

Perth

As Great Britain is the island where the majority of UK citizens reside and as there is already a "lesser Britain" (Brittany), I fail to understand Irvine Inglis's view (Letters, 8 April) that the current name of this sovereign country, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, shouldn't continue if Scotland secedes.

Those, like myself, who will remain a UK citizen regardless, may decide to precede "Great" with "Southern" but there is no compulsion to do so.

And giving up on the third most recognisable flag in the world would be ridiculous.

Are Scottish nationalists now so arrogant that they think on leaving the UK they can dictate the name and flag of the country they dislike so much?

COLIN WILSON

Maggie Woods Loan

Falkirk

Robert Veitch (Letters, 7 April) thinks he can counter Alex Orr (Letters, 6 April) by throwing puerile comments back.

When will the Scots learn to debate in an honest way without slagging each other?

All parts of the British Isles will remain part of EU and there is cross-border freedom of movement between them. That will remain whatever happens to the UK. If anyone feels like writing in to say Europe will not automatically allow Scotland to be part of the EU then don't bother; it isn't true. Scotland is part of the EU and would remain so until it chose to leave. Leaving the UK does not mean we have chosen to leave the EU.

Also, Scotland and England were great trading partners before the union of 1707 and still would be after independence. Why would that change?

Looking at the UK economy, it is almost completely reliant on the services industry for its GDP. Regardless of having to bail out the banks, many of them Scottish, that is just capital funding and the UK remains heavily reliant on their projected contribution back to GDP in future years.

The final item raised by Mr Veitch is defence. This is now perhaps the greatest reason to leave the UK.

Scotland would be safer once we are not aligned with British defence and foreign policy. How many terrorist attacks do you hear of in Switzerland, or Luxembourg or any other country which minds its own business?

Let's separate Scotland from the UK for purely sensible reasons: to make us more prosperous, a fairer society, and safer from terrorism.

JONATHAN GORDON

Gylemiur Road

Edinburgh