How Salmond outwitted Cameron

From: Mike Wilson, Oakbank Broadway, Oakworth, Keighley.

LIKE most non-Scots, I will rejoice when this whole “Scottish question” is finally over – I am sick to death of the braying and posturing of all parties.

What a mess David Cameron has made of this whole situation. Two years ago Cameron rejected the three options – Yes, No, or more devolution and made it a straight Yes or No. Now that the UK is on the verge of being torn apart by a Yes or No vote, what are we left with? You’ve guessed it – the “more devolution sweetener” in exchange for Scotland staying.

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This was never about Scottish nationalism, independence, or identity. The Scots have had plenty of that for centuries with more “independence” than any other part of the UK. The SNP scaremongering about health and education cuts from Westminster is just a smokescreen – they already enjoy some 20 per cent more income per head of population for this than any English or Welsh regions.

No, this has always been about (as usual) power, politics and pence, and no doubt Cameron will offer them more if they vote to stay. Alex Salmond is the epitome of a “slick Willy” politician in the Clinton/Blair mould. He wants his place in history to be that which Wallace and Bruce failed to do – defeat the English. Except that it is not the English who will lose if he gets his way – it is the entire United Kingdom, including Scotland – the most successful political, cultural and economic union the world has ever known.

And for what? Just so that Salmond can elect himself the first-ever Scottish President! I have both Scottish and Welsh friends who pride themselves as Scots or Welsh first and British second and I have no problems with that. I myself am proud to be British and would personally hate to see Scotland leave the Union as I believe we are “better together”, but if they dislike us so much and vote to leave then good riddance.

From: Max Hey, Fairway Grove, Bradford.

ALEX Salmond promises lots, fails, then claims that his hands are tied by somebody, the EU, the British government – anybody. So it is never his responsibility when he fails to deliver what he promised to keep Scotland’s last civilian shipbuilder, Ferguson, on the Clyde, now it is heading for bankruptcy.

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Jim Moohan, chairman of engineering union CSEU, said: “There was a personal commitment from the First Minister that the workforce would be protected and that the work would remain. The CSEU is issuing a direct challenge to the Minister to intervene on behalf of the Scottish government, regardless of EU guidelines he has the right to intervene.”

From: Ruthven Urquhart, High Hunsley, Cottingham.

ON a recent visit to the excellent Edinburgh Fringe Festival, I questioned lots of local people on the Scottish referendum.

The response was almost unanimous. “We don’t know and remain indecisive as there are so many issues to be resolved such as our currency, pensions, investments etc.”

One person summed it all up most succinctly by likening the matter to betting on a horse race when the jockeys are either inexperienced or reputed to be lacking in talent.

From: John Riseley, Harcourt Drive, Harrogate.

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THE notion of statehood as a great adventure and opportunity assumes that success is something which arises from state action. Yet we know that it comes from the people. Scotland and the Scots are successful and can go on to be more so without the imposition of a new state upon them.

If (God forbid) the result of the referendum is such as to call into question the flag for the remainder of the Union then might I suggest that it has long outgrown its original design considerations and simply is as it is as a matter of tradition. Do we imagine that if some seismic event obliterated Hawaii the USA would delete a star from their banner?

If we need some rationale for including blue in the flag then it can represent our long association with the sea or our victory in the Battle of Britain.

Alternatively it can reflect the likelihood that centuries of emigration have placed the centre of gravity for descendants of the old Scottish nation somewhere outside of Scotland, perhaps in North America or Australasia but quite possibly within the combination of England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

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As for changing our name, we would still incorporate most of the island of Great Britain. I note that the Republic of Ireland does not cover the whole of the island from which it takes its name, yet it feels no need to style itself the Republic of Leinster, Munster and Connacht.

From: Terry Marston, Lincoln.

WHAT a stupid referendum David Cameron allowed Alex Salmond to con him into. How can the Scots vote Yes or No when they really have no idea what the deal is?

They will have no idea whether they want independence or not until they know the terms of the separation. It should have been terms first, referendum next.

From: Tim Mickleburgh, Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby.

AS an Englishman, I am yet to make my mind up about the vote for Scottish independence. In some ways my heart says yes, but my head says no. However were I Scottish, the condescending attitude of the English would almost certainly push me into the hands of Alex Salmond and company.