Letters: Has Gordon Brown finally had a brilliant idea?

Unfortunately something appears to have blinkered him from reality. Maybe he has listened too often to the rhetoric of “four equal partners” and “our precious Union”. Whatever the status of Scotland in the Union, our Holyrood Parliament owes its powers and continued existence to the whims of the Westminster Parliament.

Our Holyrood parliament does not have and is unlikely to be granted the power to sign international agreements or treaties. Even if these powers were devolved, no other country is likely to negotiate a deal with a legislature that could be overridden at any time by the sovereign state’s parliament.

Why should Scotland go to the enormous effort of trying to obtain Westminster’s agreement for the possibility of so little return? At best the outcome would be very limited powers to negotiate with the EU in the few devolved areas where there is no knock-on effect on any other country in the Union or the UK as a whole.

Where would any Scottish agreement with the EU on fishing stand now that the UK Parliament is taking back and will almost certainly change the powers over fishing and farming that were fully devolved to Holyrood ?

In reality the EU is a particularly bad example for Gordon Brown to choose, as member states do not negotiate individual agreements with other countries, therefore the parent body is very unlikely to entertain negotiating with members of a subsidiary parliament in any country.

Alas, on examination Brown’s proposal is a non-starter. It would be far easier and more effective for Scotland to become independent and negotiate agreements directly with other independent counties.

John Jamieson
South Queensferry

READ MORE: Gordon Brown: Scotland could bypass Westminster to work with the EU​

WHILST you gave headlines and widespread (including front page) coverage to a few SNP MPs who are against a People’s Vote on the final Brexit deal, you gave no report of the Tory minister Jo Johnson, who resigned to be able to campaign for a People’s Vote. This was a seismic piece of news in its effect. There are now at least nine Tory MPs who have made it clear they want the people to decide their future in another referendum.

Also your article and front-page headline that Brexit would force more people to support independence, but not a majority, buried the main results of the Survation research, which was that the majority of voters would now vote Remain. That included ALL Labour-held seats. I am most disappointed at what appears to be your preferred display of sensitivity to those in the nationalist movement who believe not stopping Brexit could help Scotland achieve independence that much quicker. In my opinion it would not.

The polls show the majority of people want a People’s Vote and also that there would be a majority for remaining in the EU. I appeal to all indy supporters to build the polls in our favour by having the answers for the legitimate concerns of voters, and all parties to get together to hold conferences on what kind of Scotland we want to have, and so be able to win with a vision rather than hoping to win by the harm done to our neighbours.

Jo Johnson is speaking honestly when he says this is the worst crisis since Suez and it would be a democratic travesty not to let the people have the final say. You should not dismiss it nor ignore it because it was spoken by a Tory.

Tony Martin
Gullane

WHAT is the message to Scotland from yet another Westminster Cabinet resignation, a resignation centred around the issue of Brexit and the shambles the government are making of negotiations? This time it is Transport Minister Jo Johnson MP, a strong remainer – who will now be joining his brother Boris (ex-Foreign Secretary), a strong Brexiter, on the back benches – clearly indicating absolutely no confidence in the Chequers deal.

Scotland did not vote for the Conservatives or to leave the EU, yet we are being dragged kicking and screaming through the government’s shambles, a shambles which is having economic consequences for business as a result of uncertainty. The tourist industry taking Scottish holidaymakers to the continent have no clear message – will they be able to freely move around the EU? Fruit growers had a massive shortage of labour from the EU this year – what does next year offer as the fruit is being prepared now for next year’s harvest ?

What about EU citizens currently making a massive contribution to our NHS and care sector? For them to leave Scotland would plunge those sectors into emergencies the like of which we have never seen before!

This uncertainly surely cannot continue, as it is costing Scotland far too much. We have no clear message or direction from Westminster and are totally excluded from the negotiation table. The Labour opposition at Westminster are demonstrating no leadership or consistency on Brexit, only the same turmoil as the Conservatives with resignations from Mr Corbyn’s front bench on the same scale. What other country would be plunged into such uncertainty and turmoil through no fault of her own?

Catriona C Clark
Falkirk

AS the media responds to Boris Johnson’s latest Trump-style attention-seeking spew, with his call to get involved in the case of the Pakistani woman convicted for blasphemy, stop – take a breath – and consider how things panned out when Boris Johnson stuck his useless oar into the Iranian case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

Amanda Baker
Edinburgh