WHILE I will always vote for independence it doesn't mean I, and many others too, agree with every single policy of the SNP.

I find the hostility to having a vote on EU membership odd. The UK had a referendum to join the EEC. At no point has any UK citizen been afforded the opportunity to vote on EU membership, something which could be viewed as undemocratic.

I'm aware we've got to the point of a referendum through political machinations rather than purely democratic principles. But at last the people will get a vote on being a member of the EU or not.

It would be sensible for all of Scotland's political parties to listen to people's views as I think they'll find many more voices than they realise are against EU membership.

As for the siren voices on the disaster it would be to leave the EU I would suggest whether it's UK or Scotland both have assets the EU would be terrified of losing.

In UK terms it is the EU members, best market, Trying to impose trading restrictions on the UK would hurt EU members far more than the UK. There would have to be a mutually beneficial deal (not the Norwegian model).

And Scotland has most of Europe's oil and fishing fields, again a mutually beneficial deal would be struck.

I'm looking forward to the EU debate and referendum.

Jim Dear,

82 Marketgate, Arbroath.

THE proposed franchise for the forthcoming EU referendum is not only perverse but nonsensical ("Tories rule out 1.5 millionUK residents from UK vote", The Herald, May 25.

Under the Prime Minister's proposals, to be contained in the forthcoming EU Referendum Bill, 1.5 million EU nationals resident in the UK, including 90,000 in Scotland, will be excluded from casting a vote on the future direction of the country in which they live. That is unless they are from Cyprus, Malta or the Republic of Ireland.

Bizarrely, however, the proposals will allow Commonwealth citizens who live in the UK and are not UK passport holders to vote.

This is nothing short of narrow nationalism, viewing a Zimbabwean living in Scotland or a Scot living in Majorca for less than 15 years as being worthy of a vote, but excluding a Pole who lives here and for whom the continued relationship between the UK and the EU will have a major impact. Such a situation will clearly do little to build social cohesion.

In addition, 16 and 17-year-olds, unlike the case for the Scottish independence referendum will not be able to vote. These young people are our future, they will have to live with the outcome for many years and it is vital that they have a say in this referendum.

The position of the UK Government on this matter is incoherent and unfair and requires to be urgently reviewed.

Alex Orr,

Flat 2, 77 Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh.

DAVID Torrance tends to annoy with his crabbit tone but his several questions on the tactics being deployed by the SNP with respect to the European referendum seem justifiable ("SNP's incoherent position on staying in Europe", The Herald, May 25).

Should Alex Salmond use his considerable loquaciousness to support the Tory Government on the rferendum or should he be (uncharacteristically) cautious and not be seen (and heard) supporting Mr Cameron (see Cleggism)?

Perhaps the SNP's "bide in" position should emanate from Edinburgh with a distinctive Scottish perspective, leaving the rUK to make its own choice?

The Scottish Government (de jure in Edinburgh) may find itself being upstaged by the sheer media power and considerable presence of the mighty 56 in London.

Close-whipped coordination of hymn-sheets, tactics and utterances may prove challenging. Will there be any guarantee that positions taken by members of the 56 will be in sync with Holyrood?

Indeed will there be further questions raised by David Torrance et al on who speaks for Scotland? The Westminster 56 or the Scottish Government in Edinburgh?

Thom Cross,

18 Needle Green, Carluke.

THERE is certainly a contradiction in David Cameron's Government forbidding the likes of North-east Scotland MSP Christian Allard from voting in the EU referendum ("Inside Track: Cameron better be careful of using the F-word", The Herald, May 26), on the grounds that he is French, whereas in the Scotland referendum non-Scots were allowed to vote. If the reasoning is that non-British UK residents would have a vested interest in voting to be part of the EU, the same could be said about non-Scottish residents in Scotland having the same interest in Scotland remaining in the Union.

Talk about tinkering with the electorate. If this isn't manipulative control it is hard to imagine what is.

Scotland's next referendum should irrespective of Westminster wishes ensure that expatriate Scots are included in the electoral register for the referendum. The necessary extra bother to ensure this should be taken. After all, if there are "economic migrants" entering a country there are also "economic migrants" leaving a country.

Ian Johnstone,

84 Forman Drive, Peterhead.

AM I the only person who remembers David Cameron saying the Tories were going to stop banging on about Europe all the time? I honestly don't think they are capable of talking about anything else.

David Clarke,

25A Moray Place, Edinburgh.