Family of nations is quickly forgotten

What nonsense is written by Dr Roger Cartwright, Colin Hamilton and others (Letters, 31 October) in response to Nicola Sturgeon’s reasonable advocacy of a veto by Scotland in the case of a vote to leave the EU being fuelled by a majority in England.

They are obviously content to assume that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are regions of England.

The Republic of Ireland, a country of around 3.5 million people, has the right of veto on certain EU proposals despite the representatives of the other 300 million voting in favour.

The Prime Minister referred repeatedly to the UK being a “family of nations” during the Scottish referendum campaign (it is clear that in politics, campaign “cliches” are soon forgotten).

He has also declared on many occasions that he would canvas strenuously for an “In” vote.

Rather than a veto, perhaps one vote for each of the four nations following their own referendums would be the fairest way of dealing with the issue.

Mike Underwood

Friars Brae

Linlithgow

For sheer effrontery, Colin Hamilton takes the biscuit.

The man who wrote endless letters to The Scotsman saying that a Yes vote would condemn Scotland to an extended period excluded from the EU is now perfectly relaxed with the prospect of Scotland being taken from it, potentially against the wishes of the majority of its citizens.

In the face of the utter contempt shown by the UK government and its Tory backbenchers for Scotland since the referendum I wonder what it would take for folk of this ilk to rediscover their pride.

Elsewhere in the letters column (same day) Roger Cartwright exhibits a selective interpretation of the  Edinburgh Agreement. I don’t remember any howls of protest from  pro-Union supporters when the UK government threw its agreement to abide by  the purdah period out of the window and made a major policy concession in the shape of the now infamous vow.

Dr Cartwright also claims that Nicola Sturgeon shows contempt for democracy by attempting to have the  wishes of the minority imposed on the majority.

However, with the latest poll showing that 58 per cent of the electorate intend to vote for independence- supporting parties, that could become a moot point.

Douglas Turner

Derby Street

Edinburgh

Nicola Sturgeon has called for unanimity from the constituent parts of the UK in any EU referendum. The idea has some appeal. If we have another referendum on independence, I suppose it could be argued that the “Sturgeon Principle” could be equally applied across the various regions of Scotland. But the referendum is over. It’s time for political games to stop.

(Prof) Paul W Jowitt

Belford Mews

Edinburgh