Vote them off

Your headline tells us about "anger as voting reform poll clashes with Scots elections" (6 July), and the First Minister is so livid he's going to send a letter to Nick Clegg.

That will have them quaking in their boots, won't it? Hasn't Mr Salmond realised that the time for posturing is over. If our Scottish Parliament means anything at all, it has to do something this time, not just issue hollow threats and wring its hands in despair.

Seeing that it has absolute devolved powers over local councils, it could start by issuing an order forbidding the use of council-administered or owned premises for the voting reform referendum.

That would force the Westminster government to hold its referendum in seperate polling places (funded, one assumes, by the Scottish Office, and not from local purses) to which most people wouldn't bother to turn up.

If Scotland effectively fails to take part in any one piece of Westminster theatre it will emphasise the differences in the two nations' political aspirations - with obvious implications.

DAVID FIDDIMORE

Calton Road

Edinburgh