I WOULD like to question the logic of William Ross when he states (The Long Letter, The National, August 15) that “democracy should be respected at UK and Scottish levels” by having “Brexit followed some years later by another Scottish referendum”. I would respectfully remind him Scotland is a nation and not a region of England. We have certainly been joined to England by treaty and for more than 300 years we have endured the “democracy” of opening up territories for the UK and then being denied trading rights with them. We have fought in wars that we didn’t want but, as part of the UK, were obliged to suffer. We have voted for the governments we wanted only to have that vote overturned by the much larger vote that exists south of the Border.

We have endured the democracy of seldom getting what we want and instead being told by England what we will have, and managing on what they give us out of our own money. It seems Mr Ross is suggesting we do the same over Brexit. How is that democratic? Scotland voted to remain in the EU by an overwhelming majority – a much larger one than the so-called majority that will take us out of the EU. I would remind Mr Ross that a decision that is likely to cost Scotland some 80,000 jobs and is likely to do lasting damage to our economy is being made on the basis of votes cast by only one-third of the UK population.

If we accept this “democratic” decision, and wait until several years after Brexit is complete before holding an independence referendum, then we will have already suffered that damage and our new oil reserves (the new vast reserves on the continental shelf to the west of Scotland that Westminster seems intent on hushing up), will have been squandered by the UK Government to combat the severe harm that Brexit will do to the economy – in the same way as it squandered North Sea Oil and continues to squander it by giving away all the tax revenues to the oil giants.

We will, once more, be used for the benefit of England, just as we were when we opened up America, Africa, India, Australia and the rest of the Empire for them. Even the new aircraft carrier that Scotland built is to be “homed” in Portsmouth. How many Navy vessels are “homed” in Scottish ports? Answer: Only those that pose an extreme danger to England, namely the nuclear subs at Faslane. In the event of a nuclear war, you can bet your last penny that Faslane will be one of the first places to be targeted. Once again a “democratic” decision taken at Westminster by the English government foists something else on us that we don’t want.

Scotland did not vote in favour of Brexit. The “democratic” thing to do would be either to devise some way that Scotland could remain within the customs and trade union, just as they are trying to do in Northern Ireland, or give us the choice to become independent and make our own arrangements with Europe. And we should be allowed to make that choice before the damage is done to our economy, not afterwards. Sorry, Mr Ross but the only time Scotland will truly enjoy democracy is after we gain our independence from the nation that continually imposes its will on us.

Charlie Kerr, Glenrothes

I WOULD like to correct Ian Heggie’s letter (August 16) about the pirate radio station Radio Scotland. It was indeed anchored off the east coast when it started broadcasting in the early 1960s but went off air and was the moved to the west coast. But, yes, it was anchored off Troon as I can remember sitting on the beach there with the transistor radio tuned while watching the ship off the coast. Happy days – both Ian and Reporting Scotland were correct.

Iain Rankine, Sutherland

LESLEY Riddoch’s views and perspectives on broadcasting are never less than interesting, but her most recent analysis of BBC Scotland is based largely not on fact but on supposition, half-truth and ill-informed speculation (Change at the top of BBC Scotland is an opportunity to do much better, The National, August 17).

She says that one person alone will be responsible for all our programme ideas in future. That simply is not true. Our new commissioning structure will have a dedicated editorial team consisting of three individual commissioning roles specialising in factual programming, radio, and digital, social and youth content – all working to the new multi-platform commissioning head. We may also recruit further commissioning roles in future as our aim is exactly that which Lesley suggests it should be – to provide compelling content that reflects the diversity and culture of the whole of Scotland and its inhabitants.

We want the best possible programme ideas across all our platforms – and our new structure aims to achieve that by tapping into the expertise and creativity of that commissioning editorial team.

Lesley suggests BBC Scotland is “stuck in limbo”. If that’s true, limbo is a pretty busy place, as we prepare the groundwork for the new TV channel. She further claims that staff morale is at an all-time low at BBC Scotland. In fact, there’s a real sense of anticipation around launching a new TV service for Scotland – an opportunity that seldom comes along (although, with the example of BBC Alba, which will celebrate its 10th birthday next year, we can see the potential that is there).

The initial consultations we have run with audiences and other stakeholders reflect the same enthusiasm and desire for the channel to be successful. Quite how this support, energy and drive equates to an organisation, as Lesley sees it, in the doldrums, is difficult to understand. The vast majority of our programme makers – and those in the independent production sector – have voiced to us clearly the real sense of anticipation they feel, buoyed in the knowledge that there will be a raft of new programmes coming to audiences in Scotland in a little over a year.

Lesley’s conspiracy theory on the departure of Ewan Angus is just plain wrong. Ewan’s decision was taken entirely on personal grounds and that is all that needs to be said. It’s more than a little distasteful to speculate about his family or anything else. To suggest, as Lesley does, that he “jumped before being pushed” is complete fabrication. And, for the record, his “non-appearance” at the summer planning session Lesley refers was due to the fact he was on annual leave at that time.

Huge audiences continue to tune into many of Ewan’s award-winning programmes and he continues to be closely involved in the programme commissioning and planning around the new channel.

Lesley’s theory that the timing of a 9pm news hour on the new channel was determined by “London edict” has no basis whatsoever in fact – the timing of that programme was determined by BBC Scotland.

Who else is providing programmes of the quality and range BBC Scotland is? This week’s schedule alone includes a vast array of content from the Edinburgh Festivals, the World Pipe Band Championships, the Tattoo; Len Goodman’s Partners in Rhyme (shot at Pacific Quay), shinty’s MacAulay Cup final and Partition – Legacy of the Line, with Sanjeev Kohli and Aasmah Mir, as well as the raft of regular programmes and content we produce for TV, radio and online.

In all of this, Lesley sees “downsides aplenty”. The evidence, I’m afraid, points overwhelmingly in the opposite direction.

Ian Small, Head of public policy & corporate affairs, BBC Scotland

I AGREE with most of what Kevin McKenna said in his column (It will take passion and fighting spirit to fuel indyref2, so bring it on, Please, The National, August 16), but the last line, “Tongs ya bas”, which may have been a throwaway line or an attempt at humour was ill-judged.

I was brought up in the east end of Glasgow in the 1960s and it was less a rallying cry and more a recognition of “merde, I am in the wrong place at the wrong time”. Most of the graffiti daubed by the gangs used the spelling “bass”, but the title of Robert MacCallum’s book about the gangs also uses the single “s”.

Hector MacLean, Glasgow