First Minister Alex Salmond, and now John Drummond, chair of the Constitutional Commission, have requested a written constitution for Scotland, post-independence (In or out of Europe, Scotland needs a written constitution, Comment, January 20).
This is a rather odd position to postulate in the light of the historical facts. Scotland-UN (which I founded in 1970) is the only pro-devolution/independence organisation that received an invitation to, and sent delegates to, a United Nations Human Rights Committee meeting in Geneva in June 1980, where our delegates put Scotland's case for self-determination on the world's stage.
Scotland has had, for more than 1500 years, a written constitution (the oldest in the Western world), which merely requires additional clauses passed in Scotland's Parliament to bring it up to the needs and aspirations of the people of Scotland going forward in the 21st century.
No other political or judicial system here or abroad has any dominion over the sovereign people of Scotland nor their Parliament, who are the sole arbiters and superior authority of all matters dealing with our constitution.
Which is why, in 1707, the people of Scotland responded to the news of the loss of their Parliament with unbridled fury. Any legislation of modern times, be it from London or Strasbourg, does not, nor can it, diminish or overturn the legitimacy of Scottish sovereignty as the superior constitutional authority. Why? Because the people of Scotland were never consulted in 1707.
John JG McGill
(General Secretary, Scotland-UN)
Kilmarnock
I refer to the articles by Iain Macwhirter, Nicola Sturgeon and John Drummond (Europe and Britain are going in different directions, Scotland is a European nation and Scotland needs a written constitution, News & comment, January 21). I suggested 20 years ago that political integration was an essential prerequisite to a single currency. Surely it must now be recognised that the euro will implode in unless there is monetary, fiscal and political integration. This may take place with a reduced number of member states.
It is such an organisation – a United States of Europe – that may offer the best solution for an independent Scotland. It seems clear that the UK will never be part of an integrated Europe.
Norman J Gow
Perth
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