Solid as a rock

Does it not make you think that Malta – virtually a barren rock in the middle of the Mediterranean – is celebrating 50 years of independence while Scotland, with all its wealth, baulked at the opportunity? I have no doubt that 50 years ago Malta was threatened that if it chose to be independent, it would lose the lucrative Royal Navy contracts which gave major employment in the docks and to business on the islands.

More recently, it joined the EU; if Malta was attractive to the EU, how much more would Scotland have been to Europe?

I do not get the impression that Malta would like to return to Westminster rule. How happy is Scotland, not having broken away from the Union, to be bit-by-bit torn from Westminster?

How often will we be asked to choose while watching the oil drain away and having our industry destroyed?

How many more of our sons and daughters will be brought back in body bags from foreign wars while we pursue Westminster’s imperialism?

The only thing we can state with any certainty is that devolution causes discontent throughout the UK and is a dubious benefit to Scotland.

Brian Rattray

Gylemuir Road

Edinburgh