IN response to Charlie Kerr’s letter in yesterday’s National suggesting that as Scotland’s government was dissolved and England’s was not at the time of the 1707 Treaty of Union, this made Scotland a part of “Greater England”, I would refer to none other than Margaret Thatcher.

READ MORE: Is it the case that both Scotland and England remain independent?

Whilst I am no fan of the former Tory Prime Minister, or any Tory come to that, I have to say I actually agree with the sentiment of the following statement taken from page 624 her book The Downing Street Years. Midway through paragraph two, she asserts: “The Tory Party is not, of course, an English party, but a Unionist one. If it sometimes seems English to some Scots, that is because the Union is inevitably dominated by England by reason of its greater population. The Scots, being an historic nation with a proud past, will inevitably resent some expressions of this fact from time to time.

“As a nation, they have an undoubted right to national self-determination; thus far they have exercised that right by joining and remaining in the Union. Should they determine on independence, no English party or politician would stand in their way, however much we might regret their departure.”

Of course, both Boris and Hunt have said they “would not allow” Scotland to choose. But even Thatcher thought that Scotland absolutely has that right – even if the Tories have always lied and cheated their way to preventing any move towards independence – and I believe, like Thatcher, that the Treaty of Union does not prevent Scots taking back control of their country at any time they so desire. Let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later.

Peter Jeal
Dalbeattie

APPARENTLY Alex Porter (Letters, July 17) is “heartily sick” of listening to nationalists saying “we need independence first” before we can tackle problems facing Scotland.

You know what? I am more than “heartily sick” listening to those who profess to support independence then proceed to bitterly slag off the SNP; the only credible independence vehicle we have.

The correspondent also claimed to have seen through the “posturing of the SNP some time ago”.

Possibly due to a lack of insight on my part I have, over decades, seen little evidence of “posturing” from the SNP regarding independence, which I had assumed was the party’s raison d’etre.

As some of the examples of alleged inaction by the SNP government have been around for decades – if not centuries – and the view implicit in the correspondence is that no existing political party can halt our slide into oblivion, perhaps Mr Porter should consider founding a new political party?

Malcolm Cordell
Broughty Ferry, Dundee

IN reply to Lindsay Morrison (Letters, July 18) I am delighted to say that you will find the petition that you seek on Change.org.

READ MORE: How can we demonstrate our objections to the new Edinburgh “hub”?

Your readers who so oppose, as I do, this attempt at a Tory takeover of “Scotlandshire” by Mundell and his ilk will hopefully sign and share without delay.

Thank you, too, to all the other readers who supported my original letter, and who like me are losing no time in fighting back vociferously against this democratic outrage!

Alan Johnson
Largs

RECONCILING economic growth with efforts towards a more equal society is impossible, opines columnist Michael Fry (Scotland’s 350,000 businesses are all unique – let them do what they do best, July 16).

Whatever failures are those of the present SNP government, as their satirical party political broadcast emphasised the successes of their social equality efforts more than compensates for them. Scotland enjoys subsidies of free NHS prescriptions, free university education etc which big economies like the USA don’t have.

READ MORE: Michael Fry: Scottish independence won't be achieved through this delusion

Doesn’t seem to me this reconciling of economic wellbeing with social wellbeing is impossible. Or am I not living in the real world, which a reading of Michael’s columns suggests is the world of Donald Trump and not that of Nicola Sturgeon?

No society I would say is perfect, just as the EU too isn’t perfect, but I would rather consort with Brussels than with Brexit Westminster, and with Nicola rather than Mr T. Maybe Michael should look at the personalities that are thrown up by the economic policies he seems to have preference for?

Ian Johnston
Peterhead

IN the illustrated article on the signet ring found at Loch Lomond (July 18), The National – of all publications! – has taken a BritNat attitude to Scotland: King James VII is repeatedly dubbed “James II”. This solecism is most unprofessional, coming from the only newspaper on the planet that (most of the time quite rightly) prides itself on its solidly Scotland-based perspective on world affairs, and regularly publishes enlightening articles on Scottish history and figures whom the BritNat establishment chooses to minimise or completely ignore.

Jamie Reid-Baxter
via email

RESPONDING to a question on BBC News at 10 relating to Donald Trump’s comments about telling people of colour to go back home, Jeremy Hunt said, “I’ve got three half-Chinese children and it would be totally unacceptable to me or my wife if anyone ever told them to go back to China.”

This crass answer blew me away, when I thought of the number of people in Scotland who have been threatened with deportation, or deported, by his government, especially the lady from Arran who was forced to get on a plane to South Africa this week, leaving her family, friends and business behind. So, Hunt thinks it’s unacceptable if it applies to his family, but not for others. The world he and his Tory colleagues live in is absolutely full of nasty hypocrisy!

Dennis White
Blackwood