I AGREE with Alyn Smith MEP that the Scottish Government’s latest Scotland’s Place in Europe report is a “solid piece of serious work” (Scottish Government is demonstrating the grown-up approach to Brexit, The National, January 18), but it will fall on deaf ears in London. The importance to Scotland of freedom of movement (the F word, as Alyn puts it) will be completely ignored, because England wants to curb immigration.
Both Labour and the Tories oppose staying in the single market and customs union, while the Tories will reach some kind of trade agreement with the EU that will be trumpeted as the best deal possible.
The recent sluggish growth in the Scottish economy compared with the UK is a foretaste of things to come: without control over our population, resources and economy I fear we will be too weak to vote for independence and will cling ever harder to the apparently stronger UK.
Despite four votes already opposing Brexit, our only hope of avoiding this tragedy is an even stronger vote in favour of staying in the single market and customs union. Let’s get organised now.
Robert Fraser
Edinburgh
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here