Readers' Letters: ‘Quickie divorce’ best for UK if Scotland goes solo

If an SNP/Alba “ Supermajority” is achieved in the May election and is presented as a mandate for Scotland to demand another Indyref, the idea may well find support in some unlikely places. This in turn could lead to us quickly discovering the reality of political independence.

If voters opt for Independence, should rUK cast country off quickly? (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The UK and EU are just beginning the long struggle to rebuild their economies and societies from the effects of Covid-19. This will take huge amounts of money and effort by the members of the both. The last thing the UK needs while trying to “ build back better” is to have to factor in the requirements of a sullen, unwilling partner intent on breaking up the country. In these circumstances it might be in the interests of the UK to offer Scotland a snap referendum and then, if the decision is to separate, better a quickie divorce than expending effort and money on projects and support north of the Border.

Similarly, the last thing the EU needs in its own quest for recovery is to have to consider the needs of a fledgling heavily debt- laden country on its periphery. They have enough struggling members competing for a share of the recovery fund without having to deal with an application from another.

All of this will not be a consideration for the Indy purists, who consider that it is the principle of self determination that matters above all else. Those who believe that separation is the route to a more prosperous future should be careful what they wish for. Being Independent could be a “ super-isolated” experience.

Mark Openshaw, Earlswells Road, Cults, Aberdeen

Mass of contradictions

A story of constant U-turns and botched policies- A-levels, school meals, foreign health workers and more. Go to work. Don’t go to work. Paying citizens to “eat out to help out” in the midst of a deadly pandemic. Stitch up the NHS in the morning and then clap for them at night. A government opening schools for a single day, threatening to sue schools, shutting schools.

We saw a country locking down too late, opening up too early, sending its elderly to die in care homes, not feeding its own hungry children.

And on top of this – a Government wasting £37 billion on Track & Trace that didn’t work, and then claiming it can’t afford to give nurses a decent pay rise. Billions more wasted on useless PPE equipment that left hospital staff defenceless.

The run-up to Christmas was a catastrophe of mismanagement that left 30,000 people dead in January. Are we supposed to just forget this?

Anne Wimberley, Belmont Road, Edinburgh

Short-term thinking

Whilst the 2019 UK Election result, with Boris Johnson becoming Prime Minister, was perfect for Scottish Independence seekers, and Nicola Sturgeon takes tedious delight in using his name as often as possible, voters should take care with short-termism.

Five years from now, probably less, Boris and Nicola will be history and we may well have a centrist UK Government in place. Compare this with the mayhem that is likely if Independence were achieved, with the SNP raison d'etre satisfied, and the resulting disintegration into its factions. The current SNP discontent would look like a Sunday School Picnic in comparison. "Once in a generation" of less than ten years is unlikely to be offered to those seeking unification by the fledgling Government if it fails.

Callum Towns, Edinburgh

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