The full Scottish
Sir: Iain Martin (‘How to save the Union’, 14 May) has an excellent appreciation of the issues, bar one: what Scotland seeks is a return to statehood such as other nations have. The lack is grievous. Scotland does not have representation in important international bodies. We lack a commissioner in the European Commission and both diplomatic and consular services worldwide. Fishing is not within our control. England, anticipating events, recently gerrymandered the sea boundaries, tilting them northeastward, to her advantage in oil and gas. There is more to independence than separation from England.
Helen C. Bovey
Edinburgh
Sir: Charles Moore (The Spectator’s Notes, 14 May) claims that most English people are apathetic about Scots independence. Not so. I am all for it, but think we English should be allowed a referendum, too. In fact, an English referendum on splitting from Scotland should come first, as its results would be of interest to the Scots. Having been ruled by the Scots for over a decade before the coalition, I would welcome independence from Scotland, as they seem mostly to be socialists. The Shetland Islands should be encouraged to remain British, though. Not difficult, as they don’t regard themselves as Scots.
Andrew Levens
By email
Crossing the border
Sir: I wonder if you will pass on to John Duffield of Essex (Letters, 14 May) the email addresses of Scotland’s newspapers so that he can send his thoughts on to a wide audience up here. I can think of nothing that would gain the SNP more support for independence than the combination of malice and contempt he expresses for us.
From this side of the border, the impression given by commentators and letter-writers in England in response to the SNP victory is verging on hysteria. For years, the government bench in the Commons declared that if people in Scotland voted for independence, then like good democrats the establishment at Westminster and the English people would accept our decision. It seems that principle applied only until independence became a possibility. And yet we in the SNP are having a discussion about a model of independence that takes, as far as is possible, the needs of the English state into account. For example I, despite lifelong opposition to nuclear weapons, have been advocating the leasing of the Trident base to England so that its seat at the UN is not jeopardised.
Jim Sillars
Former deputy leader, SNP, Edinburgh
What dooms the Lib Dems
Sir: James Forsyth (Politics, 14 May) has missed an important point. A year ago, when the Liberal Democrats formed a coalition government with the Conservatives, they were given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show that they could act responsibly and cohesively and are therefore fit to govern. Public utterances by their senior MPs before and since the recent election have demonstrated the exact opposite. Nick Clegg, to his credit, tried for a while to act responsibly but even he is now relapsing into ‘opposition’ mode.
I believe that the public at large have sensed this and that is the real reason that the Lib Dems did so badly in the local elections and referendum. And their reaction to those election results has only reinforced their image as being fit for opportunist opposition but totally unfit for government. The coalition cannot last and it will be the Lib Dems’ irresponsibility that will bring it to an end.
Cllr Frank Tomlin
Essex
Playground politics
Sir: George Bridges seems very keen to prevent other people sucking at the teat of the state, even as he introduces a large group of future taxpayers (‘Too many toddlers’, 14 May). Can we still afford to give the elderly free bus passes, he asks, or to stop taxing television-owners at the age of 75? And yet he concludes by demanding more swings in his local municipal park. I await his proposals on public-private playground provision with interest.
Tom Rawlins
London SW15
Vowel play
Sir: Dot Wordsworth’s mention (Mind Your Language, 14 May) of ‘the complications presented by the vowel-system’ in our language is more than exemplified by the story of a young Birmingham actor arriving in London to audition for the part of a second world war spiv, made famous by the late Arthur English. While noting his smart suit and open-necked shirt, the director nonetheless suggested he might work even better with a kipper tie. The lad readily agreed and asked for two sugars.
Robert Vincent
Hampshire
Nuns with guns
Sir: Our thanks to Charles Moore (Notes, 7 May) who cleared up a mystery for my family, namely the identities of the two nuns who could be seen near to the royal couple when they were sitting down during their marriage service. No other publication could tell us who they were. My husband speculated that they may be Special Branch officers in disguise, but the age of one and the slenderness of the other — meaning she was unlikely to be hiding any weapons — under her habit made this theory unlikely.
Lindsay Doidge
South Devon
High standards
Sir: Jeremy Clarke’s Low Life column of 23/30 April is the most beautiful piece I have ever read. Thank you very much.
Catalina García-Escudero Márquez
Barcelona
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