IT was striking to note the portents of doom heralded by various sections of the media around the issue of the so-called “constitutional crisis” besetting Italy. This was, as they saw it, yet another nail in the EU’s coffin post-Brexit.
Much to their disappointment, this issue was quickly resolved, with a new populist government comprising the Five Star Movement and League sworn in. This saw a previous Eurosceptic economy minister being replaced with Giovanni Tria, who is in favour of Italy’s continued membership of the eurozone.
Every so often certain wings of the press seemingly rejoice in such matters, heralding this as the beginning of the end of the EU.
READ MORE: As political turmoil spreads, Europe must be rebuilt from bottom up
It is, however, striking to look at the actual support there is for EU membership within the member countries. The latest polling from the Eurobarometer survey, published in May, highlights the fact that two-thirds of Europeans believe their country has benefited from being a member of the EU; the highest number for 35 years. In addition 60% consider EU membership a good thing. This includes Italy where more than twice as many view EU membership as a good thing than a bad thing. Likewise, in Brexit Britain, almost twice as many people view EU membership as a good thing, by 43 per cent to 23 per cent.
Despite the licking of lips by those who see every major issue facing a member state as heralding the breakup of the EU, the simple facts which highlight its popularity get in the way of this happening.
Alex Orr
Edinburgh
JUST as we are turning our back on the EU, Mrs May’s new best friend and trading partner initiates a trade war with Europe – and Britain (Global leaders warn Trump tariffs risk war and economic strife, The National, June 1).
At the same time, Mark Carney warns that weaker income growth is likely to accompany new trading arrangements with the EU.
What trading arrangements, one wonders. We’re still in limbo, with no sign of a solution regarding post-Brexit arrangements – such as the “frictionless” Irish border question.
While our benighted PM appears unable to tell fact from fiction, a senior EU official declares that the UK is living in a “let’s just keep everything we have now” fantasy.
One is tempted to pen a new version of Lewis Carroll’s tale for the journey to Brexit: Malice in Wonderland – Border Ramblings of a Pointless PM. (US version: Take a Hike!).
Remember, folks, our PM is just a backward MP, easily DUPed.
James Stevenson
Auchterarder
THE value of Scottish Territorial Waters to the UK economy is more than the value of fish landed and oil revenues.
In 1973 the Tories under Ted Heath used Scottish Territorial Waters as a bargaining chip in order for the London financial sector to get access to the EU financial services market.
Scotland accounts for 60% of the UK fishing grounds, however, the tonnage of fish landed from Scottish waters per square nautical mile is four times that of the rest of the UK. This means that Scotland contributes 80% of the value of fish taken by the EU from UK waters.
In 2016 the financial services exports to the EU from the UK amounted to £27 billion with a tax take of 27.76% to the Treasury, a sum of £7.49bn. An 80% share of the above figures represents £21.6bn and a tax take of £6bn.
Of course as well as the tax take on this business, the number of people employed in this sector is also very beneficial to London’s economy. I would love to know these figures.
I believe that Scotlands financial services are worth £7.2bn but mainly to the rest of the UK.
The next time that Unionists present Scotland as being subsidised by London please tell them that they are talking nonsense, the export figures quoted are from the House of Commons Library so they cannot deny them.
Lawrence Maclean
Highlands
It was good to see Carolyn Leckie back (Growth Report is a good start for fuelling indy debate, The National, June 4). Ms Leckie is quite strongly to the left in politics but a member of the “loony left” she is not. Oddly enough, I quite often find myself singing from the same hymn sheet.
The Scottish Government has several horses to ride, it must govern to the general satisfaction of the Scots and it has to promote Scottish independence. These feats are difficult, do not give the Unionists a stick to beat you with, do not alienate the middle class, a class much larger than the Trotskyists believe it to be. They must also seek not to alienate the large numbers of the working class with leftist views.
In order for independent Scotland to get a kick-start on the international stage in finance and trade, something like the Growth Report is very necessary. Marxist baying at the moon from day one does not get that; we live in the world we live in.
If the hard left are determined on a Marxist utopia they must wait until they gain a majority in Parliament subsequent to independence. In the words of Theresa of Downing Street: now is not the time. We have to fight united and hard for independence, after that we can have a “field day” for all our various “isms”.
R Mill Irving
Gifford, East Lothian
ARLENE Foster has said that she will not countenance a Brexit deal that leaves Northern Ireland with different trading arrangments than the rest of the UK. She said she did not want people in Northern Ireland to have different rights than other parts of Britian. Presumably then she will be enthusiastic to legalise abortion in Northern Ireland; bringing it into line with other parts of the United Kingdom.
Alan Hinnrichs
Dundee
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