HOW many more times will we Westminster politicians distort the facts to suit their case? In your article in Saturday’s paper (Councillors support a people’s vote in Scots first, September 29) you quote Tory MP David Duguid as saying: “The British people, including those here in Banff and Buchan, voted to leave the EU”. Perhaps he doesn’t realise that Scotland voted 62% to 38% to stay in, and not one single council area in Scotland actually had a majority to leave?
There may be certain sections of our community who have strong opinions, which could include workers with links to the fishing industry, but even these areas are thinking again now that the real impact of Brexit is becoming clearer. Perhaps the biggest vested interests in calling the EU referendum were two-fold: firstly David Cameron’s need to reunite his divided party, many of whose MPs were threatening to join Ukip; and the fear of EU legislation to address off-shoring profits to avoid paying local taxes, a measure which would affect many of the party’s richest supporters.
We should not pander to these vested interests – not even those, like the fishery workers, who may have a justified reason for being suspicious of the EU.
We must favour policies which will deliver what is best for all of our nation. The majority in Scotland to remain in the EU was so overwhelming that I see no need for a second referendum here, which can only confuse the issue if the UK has a whole votes to continue with Brexit and Scotland once again has a majority to remain, but I’d rather the UK has a second vote than none.
If Scotland turns out to be outvoted again, there is only one realistic alternative. Self-determination.
Pete Rowberry
Duns
READ MORE: UK first as Scottish council supports a people's vote on final Brexit plan
AROUND 100 years ago independence parties swept to a huge victory in Ireland on an independence ticket. This was a direct result of the rebellion in 1916 – the Easter Rising. Edinburgh-born James Connolly, a founder member of the Scottish Socialist Federation with Keir Hardie, marched the Irish Labour Party (at that point a division of the UK Labour Party) into the GPO in Dublin. He was out of the same broad nationalist and socialist movement that gave us not only Keir Hardie but also John MacLean, Jimmy Maxton and the Independent Labour Party, and in ex-Labour MP RB Cunninghame Graham the first president of the newly formed SNP in 1934.
And then you look at the Labour party in Scotland today!
Dave McEwan Hill
Argyll
TODAY the postie delivered a letter addressed to my wife and myself.
It was from “Colonel” Davidson, striking a very “Il Duce”-like pose. She was warning us strongly that as the second-largest political party in the Scottish Parliament, the Tories are the only Unionist Party that can stop the SNP.
My immediate thoughts were that as the largest political party in Scotland, only the SNP can stop the ConServeOurselves Party from remaking Scotland into the wasteland they left it after running (ruining?) Scotland from 1979-1997!
I certainly have no illusions as to what awaits us all if (God forbid) Ruthless Davidson ever got the keys to the executive toilets at Holyrood!
On the upside our gerbils now have some nice blue bedding! Thanks Colonel!
Sandy Allan
Newburgh
WHILST I too am disgusted that a public event is being banned from a publicly owned space, and consider the reason given for refusing AUOB permission for a rally at Holyrood Park totally unreasonable, I suspect there may be a more understandable underlying one.
The mess and litter left at Bannockburn, in spite of organisers’ efforts to tidy up, must have cost quite a bit to clear up and make the site fit for visitors next day. If great emphasis were to be put on all participants taking their litter home or to the nearest bins, every marshall had a roll of bin bags to add to disposal facilities and reminders were broadcast during speeches, perhaps marcherscould leave the site almost as pristine as on arrival. Bagged litter would be easy and quick to remove.
Moreover, this would send a clear message about not just the kind of country politically we want to live in, but the environmental kind too – one where we respect our amenities and natural surroundings and are proud to have visitors see.
L McGregor
Falkirk
READ MORE: No resolution over AUOB ban from holding rally at Holyrood Park
BORIS Johnson’s latest Brexit/Canada/filling-lucrative-columns-in-the-Telegraph proposal could work (given 70 years of readjustment). We just need a Canada-style PM. Smart, charismatic, good-looking, with principles, morals, an attention span longer than the next headline and a backbone. So not Boris Johnson, obviously.
Amanda Baker
Edinburgh
WHY can everyone in the independence movement not reach out to people like Kezia Dugdale, and also to others in other parties? She has been let down by Labour people she thought cared about her, but surely we could accept her even as a independent MSP, and the extra vote and support would help the independence cause?
Stevie, Motherwell
via text
READ MORE: Furious Kezia Dugdale says you can't trust the Labour Party as fees row continues
I THINK Kezia Dugdale has some reason to be upset by the lack of support from the Labour party. If she was encouraged by financial backing to sue and has now had the finance withdrawn it says a lot about trust within Labour.
Why does she not now publish what support and by whom it was promised? It’s usually said never trust a Tory. Seems Labour are now the same.
Stewart Beattie
via thenational.scot
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