Dinosaur debate

In PLACING the onus of raising the level of the independence debate on “one or other of Scotland’s leading political parties”, Joyce McMillan (Perspective, 23 March) is looking backwards rather than forwards.

According to most of the opinion polls, Scots want more devolution, not independence, and these two dinosaurs, the SNP and Labour, are battling it out at the extremes, neither of which is of any interest to voters.

Only the Liberal Democrats and a number of organisations representing Civic Scotland have started to investigate what the implications would be if the electorate voted for greater autonomy, with “Home Rule” or devo-max or some other option.

The Lib Dems’ Home Rule Commission has been working since last autumn and plans to produce a report this year. There then needs to be a national debate to reach a common platform on which to campaign.

This is the way that Ms McMillan will get her desire to have a positive debate about the constitution. Concentrating on the battle between SNP and Labour is irrelevant and ignores the real debate going on in Scotland.

Dr David Pollard

Salen

Isle of Mull