Scotland neither region nor territory

David Martin’s letter (22 February) is either a conscious attempt at obfuscation or the result of his being misled by the well-practised mendacity of Whitehall.

The European Parliament’s ruling refers to “part of the territory of a member state” ceasing to be part of that member state but that does not apply in the case of Scotland and the UK.

In the event of Scotland separating from England, the United Kingdom would cease to exist and England would be in exactly the same position as Scotland.

All treaties and unions with the former United Kingdom would have no more validity than if they had been made with the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

It should be noted that this would apply equally to Wales and Northern Ireland, both of which have unions with the United Kingdom and not with England.

The constitutional position is unique and no amount of spurious comparisons with Quebec, the Basque country or Slovenia should be allowed to obscure that fact.

The use of such phrases as “the rest of the UK” or “leaving the UK” obscures Scotland’s position of being one of the two partners which constitute the United Kingdom.

Peter Dryburgh

Newbattle Terrace

Edinburgh

David Martin MEP, like many anti-independence people, obviously thinks of Scotland as part of England.

Hence his clear belief that Romano Prodi’s instance of “part of the territory of a member state…a newly independent region…” being required to re-negotiate EU membership applies in the case of Scotland.

Not so. Scotland and England are joint partners, under the 1707 Treaty negotiated by two states. The very name “United Kingdom” acknowledges this truth. Indeed, Scotland is an independent jurisdiction, as is England, as specifically guaranteed within the 1707 Union.

If Scotland had to re-negotiate, so too would our erstwhile partner, England. (Wales and Northern Ireland were never formative members of the UK.)

Mr Martin demonstrates why the Labour Party is failing in Scotland: its Scottish MPs don’t know Scottish history and, therefore suffer from a “regional” inferiority complex when representing Scotland in Westminster. They think of Scotland in terms of Yorkshire.

Mr Martin simply cannot conceive of Edinburgh, like Dublin, or Oslo, dealing with London as a partner and a political equal. He is unable to think of political Scotland, like our football and rugby teams already, as part of the wider world.

Mr Martin’s Irish colleagues in Brussels will have a quiet smile to themselves when he promotes Scotland as a “region”.

(Cllr) Tom Johnston (SNP)

North Lanarkshire Council

Burn View

Cumbernauld