Spectator letters: Fears for Scotland, and John Cornwell answers Melanie McDonagh

Save our Scotland

Sir: Matthew Parris is quite right to praise Lord Lang’s speech in the Lords on Scottish independence 9 (‘The End of Britain’, 8 February) and there were other notable contributions, especially from Lord Kerr, on the European dimension, and Lord Robertson, the former secretary-general of Nato. But is anyone listening? The debate got virtually no coverage in the Scottish editions — and I suspect even less in the English ones. Meanwhile the SNP publicity machine rolls on here and is now promising an annual ‘Indy bonus’ of £600 for every man, woman and child in Scotland, exceeding the £500 threshold at which (as Alex Massie pointed out in the same issue) surveys suggest the average Scotsman will sell his British soul. The no campaign and the UK government must act soon to counter the tide of SNP half-truths and wild aspirations that is currently making the debate so one-sided in Scotland. Debates and speeches in Parliament are not enough.
Peter Mackay
Kincraig, Kingussie, Inverness-shire

It’s my country, too

Sir: At last somebody who can actually get published (Matthew Parris) has said the obvious. Any settlement that changes the structure of the UK must be put to all four members, to approve or not. They all have a big financial stake, not to mention other less tangible but equally significant stakes. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland must each, as entities, agree any ‘change in the rules’, to adapt Mr Parris’s words. Anything less is unacceptably inequitable. Equally obviously, it is essential that they all agree — nothing less will do. And presumably Scotland will bear the costs of all this farrago, if — as seems perfectly possible — multiple referenda are needed.
Nick Hudd
Tenterden, Kent