Paying the price

What to do on Thursday? An impossible question.

The EU is the ultimate exponent of sanctimonious big government, unbending, unfeeling, hell bent on implementing their own policies regardless of the cost. The impoverishment of Greece, the crippling unemployment, especially among the young, the folly of the euro, Schengen in tatters, and out-of-control immigration which is threatening the job prospects and living standards of ordinary working people across western Europe, all of these things are hugely negative yet seem set in stone.

It is certain that future legislation, rules and regulations will make the EU less competitive in world markets. How is the growth and prosperity to come about? By wishing for it? I fear isolation from the rest of Europe, I fear the vindictiveness of its response, but I do not believe it will ever change. I cannot vote to Remain.

Graham M McLeod

Muirs Kinross

A vote for stability

With debate around our membership of the EU generating more heat than light, similarities with the Scottish independence referendum become ever more apparent.

Polls suggest a 50:50 split in public opinion, an outcome which will ultimately create a legacy of bad feeling within our small island of nations. The neverendum debate in Scotland rumbles on, setting a bad precedent for what is likely to follow after 23 June.

Whilst it will never be perfect it’s clearly better to have closer dialogue with our nearest neighbours on shared concerns rather than create a situation which can lead to conflict.

Born in the 1950s, the formation of the European Union principally means one thing for me, “Peace in Our Time”.

For that fundamental reason I will vote to Remain and help maintain a securer future for us all.

Galen Milne

Ochiltree, Dunblane

Bogus arguments

I was unconvinced by the Scottish government White Paper on independence but at least it was an attempt to answer the many questions raised by the prospect of leaving the UK.

Nothing comparable has come from those wanting us to leave the EU – just bogus statistics, racial negativity and an unlikely future as Europe’s off-shore, deregulated free-trade zone.

Rev Dr John Cameron

Howard Place,St Andrews

Speak carefully

In the wake of Jo Cox’s death, we should pause to consider the tone of debate in Britain.

Politicians and public figures generally do refrain from excessive rhetoric, but it’s the wider population who should look in the mirror more closely. It is not that unusual to hear people saying that political figures “should be shot” or such like. The next time we hear someone mouthing off like that, we should remind them of Jo Cox. The ensuing embarrassment and back tracking should be formative.

Richard Lucas

Colinton, Edinburgh

Support for Jo

If you do not know for certain, vote for Jo.

If we back Remain, her martyrdom is not in vain.

Bill Donaldson

Westgarth Avenue, Edinburgh

Student woes

So the SNP government’s policies have seen the number of students attending Scottish universities from the poorer parts of Scottish society falling further behind comparative levels achieved by the Westminster government.

This represents another aspect of life in Scotland where the SNP government has failed and failed spectacularly. Because of free tuition, rather than tuition loans which are repaid when higher levels of salaries are achieved, the SNP Government is not only funding Scottish students from our taxes but students from every other EU Country outside the UK.

Did we vote for this use of our taxes when NHS Scotland has received below inflation increases in funding in recent years?

Join me and vote Leave in the EU referendum.

Andrew White

Murieston Vale, Livingston

Ignore hysteria

As a simple soul who is put off equally by the hysteria of the Remain campaign as by the poor quality of the principal Leave exponents I still have to seek answers for several relevant questions.

Do I wish to remain in an EU that is so inefficient (and corrupt?) that it has never yet had its annual books passed by a credible auditor? Do I wish we had complete control over who enters our country? How likely is it that several other nations will leave the EU if we do, perhaps to re-establish something like the previous European free trade area? Is a falling pound good for exports? Are there any good reasons why, after Brexit, we can’t continue to voluntarily cooperate with the EU in worthwhile matters of mutual interest? Will the SNP seriously think that a Brexit will trigger its success in any Indyref2?

Tim Flinn

Beech Cottage, Garvald, East Lothian

Ultimate sacrifice

War memorials throughout the kingdom are a reminder of those who died to preserve Britain from European domination.

In danger undaunted, unassailed by the wild rantings of self-serving politicians, they paid the ultimate price. Stand by them on 23 June by voting to leave the EU.

WV Gorman

Amherst Road, Kenilworth, Warwickshire

We need migrants

Migration continues to be one of the main issues in the referendum campaign. There needs to be an ongoing, serious, well-informed debate about this issue beyond the EU referendum vote this week.

Figures recently issued by National Records of Scotland seem to say the picture in Scotland is different to the rest of the UK, and a bit of migration might be good for us.

In the 12 months to mid 2015, Scotland’s population increased by 25,400, that is 0.5% of the population. Net migration to Scotland from overseas amounted to 19,600, 8,400 net came from the rest of the UK, balanced by the fact that there were more deaths in Scotland that there were births.

Our population in Scotland is ageing; we need more young people to pay their taxes to work in the NHS and to pay for our pensions.

Rosa Tomany

Alnwickhill Park, Edinburgh

A vital vote

Be in no doubt a vote to leave the EU on Thursday is the most crucial vote for the nation since the Reformation and the signing of the National Covenant of Scotland in 1638 freeing us from the “ Principality of Rome”.

Likewise it is incumbent upon us to faithfully vote to leave the European Union.

Ronald Shewan

Blairs, Aberdeen

A stacked deck

Why did David Cameron call the referendum if a vote to leave the EU will result in an economic bomb, the threat of war, the end of political civilisation, and the transformation of Britain into Guernsey?

Were these predictions suddenly sprung upon him, in which case it shows a huge lack of foresight? Or did he know about them in advance, in which case it shows an astonishing degree of carelessness? In either case it shows that he is unfit to continue in office.

The In campaigners have had everything going for them – power, money, support of all the main political parties, the EU machine, a politicised civil service and Treasury, and now the politicisation of a tragedy. If Leave win it will be one of the greatest events in British political history.

William Loneskie

Oxton, Lauder, Berwickshire

Research needed

Mo Davidson (Letters, 18 June) assumes all children are brought up in one culture sharing common norms and values.

It would seem this arises by considering uncritically that educational attainment is only associated with postcodes.

We tend to forget economic society is much more complicated and diverse than grouping by postcodes.

A concept from anthropology is subculture which is a distinct group formed within national culture.

Noticeably a subculture furnishes people with distinctive attitudes, beliefs, rules and values and even “linguistic codes.”

Take for example attitudes towards the value of going to school and getting the “right qualifications.” Can it be taken for granted that all parents and children share these attitudes and values?

Arguably today, more detailed research should be carried out into educational attainment in relation to subcultures.

Ellis Thorpe

Old Chapel Walk, Inverurie

Touching tribute

Of the many broadcast and written tributes following the death of MP Jo Cox, I thought Laura Kuenssberg, BBC TV’s political editor, spoke for most when she said (News at Ten, Thursday 16 June) the public ought to appreciate the democratic processes of Parliament.

In a moving, unsensationalised, report, she explained how the MP she knew, had not been interested in her own importance or “ clambering the greasy pole” at Westminster.

Rather, she was “one of those politicians who believed in the power of the place,” believing “you could change things for the good.” Kuenssberg added: “We’ve got something very special here. That’s precious, that’s special...”

Surely the kind of journalism schools might find useful in teaching modern studies?

B McGuire

North Berwick

Head

As an NHS manager and a doctor I don’t see what Mr Farage sees in this queue. I see the doctors nurses and carers we are desperate for to keep our service afloat and our ageing population cared for.

Wendy Anderson,

Bangor