It’s not all about independence
In Scotland we have grown used to the big issues of the day being reimagined through the perspective of
one side or other of the Scottish independence debate. Brexit just happens to be the latest. David Curran
(Letters, Friday) is concerned that the focus just now should be on the harm that Brexit could bring down
on us all, and suggests that I should think more about the other parts of the UK, not just Scotland.
As it happens, I suspect I voted the same way as Mr Curran in the 2016 EU referendum. While that
technically means I found myself on the winning side in keeping Scotland in the UK in 2014, but lost out in
2016 on the EU, my sense is that we all end up losers if we do not find a way to move on together, rather
than thinking that repeating either exercise will do anything other than leave us ever more fractured.
For those who support breaking up the UK as a means to meet Scotland’s problems, Brexit now joins some
of the greatest challenges of the modern age (like poverty, environmental issues, and nuclear disarmament)
as being considered by them as only capable of being properly addressed by Scotland as an independent
country. I do care deeply about Wales, Northern Ireland and England too, and would rather we face all
these huge issues together. I believe our best hope continues to be in rediscovering the common ground
that unites us rather than focusing on imagined or exaggerated differences.
Keith Howell Scottish Borders
Farage exposed
As Nigel Farage sits grinning inanely taking the crumbs from the table of an openly racist president, it is
apparent he no longer believes he needs his spun mask of vague bumptiousness and amusing boorishness to
hide his odious extremism (Nigel Farage says Trump’s racist attack on Democratic congresswomen was
genius, online, Friday).
Looking on the bright side, this might be the catalyst which shows the way to the undecided on Brexit and
opens the minds of those who were persuaded to vote Leave through falsehoods.
The racist nationalists who will crow and probably commit a few more disgusting and cowardly attacks on
strangers based on skin colour, are not redeemable. But it is to be hoped that this latest declaration by the
principal UK bigot, will force them further into a minority, as decent people see the growing disaster of
Brexit, not simply through economic suicide, but with the fragmentation of society through ignorant
intolerance.
Matt Minshall Norfolk