Readers' Letters: Indyref2 - now is the right time for another vote

Nicola Sturgeon’s decision to finally “fire the starting gun” for an independence vote is to be welcomed on three counts:

Firstly, Ms Sturgeon is doing what she said previously, to hold another vote if there was a material change of circumstances. Brexit has been a disaster for the economy. Instead of taking back control Boris Johnson has lost control of his senses.

Secondly, we have a PM who is deemed to be incompetent and untrustworthy by over 75 per cent of the public and 40 per cent of Conservative MPs. Disasters include potentially illegally overriding the Northern Ireland protocol, treating the public with impunity during the pandemic by breaking his own rules, failing to implement a credible Covid quarantine policy and trashing an economy predicted to grow slower than every other country in the G20 next year except Russia. Moreover, by denying Scotland a second independence vote ten years on, when half the electorate claim to want independence, Johnson would be behaving more like a dictator.

Finally, Scotland can’t be split evenly down the middle on independence indefinitely. The dial has hardly moved since 2014 and the country is bitterly divided. Either we move to a position closer to devo-max or choose an independent Scotland. The status quo is clearly not working.

Nicola Sturgeon launches the new paper on Scottish independence at Bute House

The SNP’s track record, however, and its failure to use its fiscal powers to mitigate the cost of living crisis, counts against it. Moreover, to put off negotiating the details on currency, pensions, defence and trade with the rest of the UK until after the vote would risk the same failures of Brexit on fishing and the NI protocol. If these questions remain unanswered the SNP may well lose again.

Neil Anderson, Edinburgh

Burning bagpipes

At a time of big NHS problems, of a cost of living crisis, a war in Europe, the chief concern of the SNP seems to be another constitutional referendum.

This is a good example of "Nicola fiddling whilst Rome burns” – or, to update the saying, “Nicola bagpiping whilst Scotland burns”. Not good enough!

William Ballantine, Bo’ness

Flawed examples

Nicola Sturgeon, in seeking reasons to revisit the independence issue, has listed a number of small European countries which are performing better than Scotland. There is a very good reason for this – they do not have the SNP in charge.

Barry Hughes, Edinburgh

Player power

Instead of turning on our national football manager because of lack of performance is it not time to focus on players?

No doubt we will hear sad tales of some being asked to play for 90 minutes three times in 11 days but if this is such an unreasonable ask? How do our successful tennis players play up to six matches of two or three hours duration in the course of the same period –as well as being paid by results?

James Watson, Dunbar

Sex work a choice

Susan Dalgety's article on sex workers (News, 13 June) is on the wrong track. I've never been to a strip club but surely the women working there are safer being in a regulated place of work rather than touting for work on the streets?

Susan says young women are viciously beaten by their pimps for failing to earn enough money but this would not, I imagine, happen in a club where there are other staff around. Anyway what has happened to women's rights – if they wish to work in a strip club, then that should be their decision.

Sylvia Wilson, Edinburgh

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