FURTHER to Lesley Riddoch’s reflections in Thursday’s National (FM needs to be at the table..., April 4), there is indeed a dilemma for our FM as to when to say “enough is enough”. Personally, I think would be a mistake to draw our own red lines and to put forward any preconditions of our own.

Nicola and her ministers have made known Scotland’s best interests many times. But what has become more and more apparent over the last two years is that Brexit is England’s bid for independence from the EU. Now, as Lesley pointed out, the voices of the far right of politics are to be heard more stridently in the south, and Ukip is once again in the spotlight.

It is good that our dis-united kingdom is exposed for all to see, making our final break-away easier to achieve and our renewed alliance with the rest of Europe and Scandinavia welcomed.

Janet Cunningham
Stirling

SO it could be coming soon, another big vote for which dancing-queen Theresa May had absolutely no response in mind except to give it a body-swerve. The UK taking part in next month’s European Parliament elections is a poisoned-chalice brew and no mistake.

But not for Scotland! The EU, thankfully, have designated our country a six-MEP nation (and Wales a four-MEP country) while splitting England into 59 regions.

The voting system is very like Scotland’s proportional representation, but it’s odds-on that not too many folk know our current MEPs: Alyn Smith of course, with another long-serving SNP colleague; two Labour; one Tory; a dame from the House of Lords; and one Ukip (how did he get in? We’d be better with the Wee Ginger Dug).

But to close on a serious note, three cheers for Patrick Harvie’s article yesterday advocating support for the Greens, so popular a party in Europe, much like the SNP.

READ MORE: Patrick Harvie: Scotland needs to replace MEP David Coburn

Jack Newbigging
Irvine

CONTRARY to Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg’s suggestion that participation in the European elections would result in the election of the likes of Tommy Robinson and Ukip, it is more likely it would benefit the Greens.

In England, voting for the European Parliament is the closest electors have to a poll by proportional representation. It is a huge opportunity for electors to have a rehearsal for the next British General Election – including electors who would like to vote Green but never do because they think they don’t stand a chance under a first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system.

If all potential Green electors, mindful of climate and ecological concerns (widespread outside of Westminster) and the poor recent performance of Conservative and Labour MPs, voted Green at the European elections, it would give the country an indication of how much support the Greens currently have.

A good showing at the European elections would convince many people that the election of more Green MPs is a realistic proposition at a General Election under FPTP.

Geoff Naylor Winchester,
Hampshire

ASSUMING all the ballot papers had the same question as mine (“Do you wish to leave or remain in the European Union?”), and as the European Union came into existence by the Treaty of Maastricht of 1992, a Leave vote was therefore a mandate to withdraw from the Maastricht Treaty and nothing else. Mrs May’s negotiating position of “red lines” relating to earlier Common Market agreements has therefore no mandate and no validity. The current negotiations should now be suspended,with the status quo in effect, until such time as Mrs May drops her “red lines”. Or obtains a mandate for them in a People’s Vote.

Rab Collinson
Aberdeenshire

SHONA Craven’s entertaining interpretation of John Bercow’s performance as Speaker (Me, denied a peerage? That would be out of order!, April 5) would benefit from expansion. He knows Scotland – well Motherwell, actually – as he was the Tory candidate for Motherwell South in 1986 when I was the SNP election agent for Jim Wright, and an entertaining and very personable person he certainly was. As a Jewish tennis coach from south London, his political potential in the ‘Well wasn’t very high but he appeared to hugely enjoy the experience. He had a sturdy lack of respect for much of the apparatus of British politics (including much of the Tory Party). He did confide in me that had he been Scottish he would be in the SNP. Who knows?

David McEwan Hill Sandbank,
Argyll

FEW things more demonstrably illustrate the obsolescence of Westminster governance than the suspension of Thursday’s proceedings in the Commons by reason of a leaking roof. My friends in Europe and the Commonwealth, who have watched with incredulity honourable members trooping out to the lobbies, must have laughed aloud at this clear confirmation that the UK Parliament is a crumbling edifice.

KM Campbell
Doune

I AM worried that Nicola Sturgeon may be being prevented from revealing a date for indyref2 by Uri Geller. I read today that he claims to be keeping Jeremy Corbyn out of Downing Street with the power of his mind, and is doing everything he can – or at least as much as is possible to do remotely from in Israel – to prevent Brexit. As far as I’m aware he is also the only person or organisation to have claimed responsibility for the leak in the House of Commons.

Surely there can be no other rational explanation as to why our First Minister has not demanded a Section 30 order?

James Bissell
Glasgow