No vote for EU

As someone who has always supported independence for Scotland without reservation, I would be astonished if a vote for independence in the proposed referendum implied acceptance of continuing membership of the EU.

There is no overt reference to this in the second ballot paper, although Dr James Wilkie (Letters, 1 March) seems to have concluded that this commitment would inevitably follow majority support for independence.

If Scotland became independent, the Scottish Government would be free to decide whether Scotland remained in the EU so that EU regulations formulated in Brussels without reference to Scotland's interest would automatically become part of Scottish Law.

The people of Scotland have never voted in a referendum, either on behalf of Scotland, or as part of the so-called United Kingdom, in favour of membership of the EU, a bureaucratic body which has no prospect of ever becoming democratic.

DR DAVID PURVES

Strathalmond Road

Edinburgh