Worrying signs

Robert Gritton’s letter (30 November) is a worrying example of the direction that the independence “debate” is taking. Assertions are made and anyone who contradicts them is subject to exaggerated abuse.

My concern is that Mr Gritton makes comments that do not stand up to scrutiny and holds them up as self-evident truths. The white paper, he says, for example, “proves that Scots could prosper under an independent Scotland”, which demonstrates a level of belief that is almost religious and which requires an equal amount of faith.

Mr Gritton asserts that “Westminster”, the predictable culprit, has “deliberately undermined Scotland’s status” for centuries. That would be why we were given a vote to have a Scottish Parliament, I suppose. No doubt, allowing Scotland to have some of the world’s best universities and leading financial services companies, to build half the world’s shipping at its height, as well as to create and run the world’s greatest empire in days gone by was part of that devilish plan?

Mr Gritton is hot on describing Scotland as “too insignificant, too weak and too puny to stand on its own”, one of the biggest nationalists’ lies, only one of the many untruths they create about the unionist viewpoint.

Do you wonder why unionists get worried about the shape of a future, separate Scotland with people like him in charge? The more people know about this aspect of the separatist side of the argument the better.

Andrew HN Gray

Craiglea Drive

Edinburgh