Oilspill fallout

BP's falling share price is "bad news" for pension funds (your report, 2 June). However, its effect on the real economy, both for the North-east and Scotland as a whole, could be catastrophic.

Over 3,000 people are employed directly by BP in the North Sea industry, which recently planned to invest billions to sustain output for another decade. The oil spill shows yet again the complex relationship between the SNP's desire for political sovereignty and the reality of economic interdependence.

ELLIS THORPE

Old Chapel Walk

Inverurie, Aberdeenshire