Crown point

As the erudite Steuart Campbell (Letters, 16 November) knows, the Treaty of Union between England and Scotland was formed by acts of the two separate parliaments in 1707.

The second Act of Union that he mentions, that of 1801, was to join Great Britain and Ireland. This was passed by the Westminster government, which later passed an act creating Victoria Empress of India.

The subsequent independence of Ireland and India made these Acts out of date. Both these countries are now republics.

However, my point was that while the Treaty of Union of the parliaments is changing and developing until a fair political balance is achieved, this is not to be confused with the role of the Crown in a United Kingdom.

Such phrases as “breaking up the constitutional ‘United Kingdom’” and the use of “seceding from the UK” are misleading.

The Queen is head of state in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, and would be in Scotland.

Iain WD Forde

Main Street

Scotlandwell, Kinross-shire