Salient points about Scottish independence which must be addressed by the divisive and opportunistic SNP

The first question is why political and economic independence for Scotland from the UK is politically desirable but political and economic independence for the UK from the EU so politically abhorrent — indeed racist?

Secondly, why do the SNP want Scotland to remain shackled to the EU, an institution that through wealth protectionist barriers (the trade diversion effects of its customs union common external tariff and single market regulations), does so much to impede the growth and development of less developed countries and, in so doing, perpetuate global inequality.

Thirdly in arguing that Scotland’s different vote to the rest of the UK in the Brexit referendum must be respected will the SNP respect the vote of regions of Scotland that vote differently to the rest of Scotland in the event of a yes independence referendum decision; ie, will they be allowed to determine their own future to remain in the UK?

Any argument to the contrary would of course be untenable, rank hypocrisy.

It is perhaps inevitable therefore that the discord and division being sown by the SNP will result in the breakup of Scotland, as old ethnic and linguistic divisions between Angles/Scots of the lowlands, Picts of the North East and Norse / Cruthin / Gael of the highlands and islands — once very real — emerge again from under the tartan blanket that has papered over them as a convenient, unifying myth since Victorian times.

Indications of this are emerging with discussions about independence in the culturally Norse Shetland and Orkney islands.

How sad that, despite Scotland being virtually self governing anyway, the SNP seeks to divorce it from a union that will separate a section of its population from their own kinfolk in the common British Isles linguistic and cultural continuum of the north of England, lowland Scotland, Ulster, and from the wider British population with whom they share so much common history, heritage and inheritance; to be replaced by economic dislocation, economic borders with its nearest trading partners in a world seeking ever lower carbon footprints in which oil resources will no longer guarantee economic security.

BJ Kennedy, Belfast BT15

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