Letter: Going it alone demands everyone counts

Concerns about the future of the Scottish shipbuilding industry in the event of separation are now matched by the inevitable steep decline in the "cornucopia" upon which nationalist plans to cut Scotland adrift are based, namely North Sea gas and oil.

This will depress many separatists who have yet even to think beyond the oil and gas disappearing, let alone plan for it. Now, as the government seems to be waking up to the menace presented by the separatist plans for a referendum, it needs to ensure that any majority that votes for a total disruption of the UK (highly unlikely though it is that there will be one) must be a majority of the Scottish electorate, not simply of those who vote.

Anything less than 50 per cent plus one would clearly be invalid.

Andrew HN Gray

Craiglea Drive

Edinburgh

Let me be quite clear. I am not an SNP supporter. However, even I can see Westminster insistence on a second independence vote, as proposed by Michael Moore, the Scottish Secretary, for what it is - a cynical attempt to stymie any possible chance of Scottish independence becoming a reality.

If you will excuse my paraphrasing, I disapprove of independence but will defend to the death the Scottish people's right to vote for it.

If it's the will of the electorate to live in an independent Scotland the democratic right to express this should be respected.

For Westminster to concoct the idea of a second referendum "to be held on the fine detail of an independence deal to be thrashed out between the two governments" is laughable.

The implication that a "no" vote in this second referendum would nullify a "yes" vote in the first is rather less amusing.

George Wilson

Seaforth Drive

Edinburgh