FOR every claim that an independent Scotland would have to apply for membership of the EU there are several legal opinions that say the opposite ("Further blow for Salmond over Europe", The Herald, October 31).

For example, Eamonn Gallagher, Emile Noel or Lord Mackenzie-Stuart, a former president of the European Court of Justice who stated: "Independence would leave Scotland and something called 'the rest' in the same legal boat. If Scotland had to re-apply, so would the rest. I am puzzled at the suggestion that there would be a difference in the status of Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom in terms of community law if the Act of Union was dissolved."

Just last month in a UK Government publication Graham Avery, honorary Director-General of the European Commission, argued that Scotland's five million people, having been members of the EU for 40 years, have acquired rights as European citizens and so for practical and political reasons they could not be asked to leave the EU and apply for readmission. He also adds that the EU would adopt a simplified procedure for the negotiations, not the traditional procedure followed for the accession of non-member countries.

Rather than milking the EU legal issue for all its worth, Labour politicians should heed the advice of former First Minister Henry McLeish who says that Alex Salmond did not mislead voters and that Labour should focus on far more important matters. How about explaining the costs and methods of their proposals for means testing for Scottish Government public services or how they would get rid of Trident nuclear weapons from Scottish soil?

It should be remembered that many Spanish businesses and trawlermen would be devastated if Scotland had to leave the EU and a post-independence Scottish government could be like Norway and join the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) while continuing to have trading rights within Europe.

Calum Stewart,

Montague Street,

Edinburgh.

HAVING always tended to agree with Harry Reid, I find his comments on Europe and the SNP rather bizarre ("SNP must rethink its policy on Europe", October 30). Of course the SNP must continually rethink its policy on Europe but only so that we can out-think all the Eurocrats, the Eurosceptics and Euro-numpties who dominate British politics.

We don't have to worry about the bleats of Johann Lamont, Ruth Davidson or Willie Rennie that the SNP should publish the secrets because the EU is prevented by its constitution from talking to a devolved government and can only deal with a member state. Thus the important decision of the past weeks was the signing over by David Cameron and the British state of the authority for the referendum to the Scottish Government. Consequent to that the EU must now accept, if Scotland votes Yes, that this decision to divide the British state into two separate units has the full backing of the British state and can only be rejected by the EU if it conflicts with the EU internal market.

I agree with Harry Reid about fisheries. The Common Fisheries Policy is the biggest disaster that the Tories under Mrs Thatcher ever invented. Reform is not possible. Scotland must form a common fisheries policy with Norway, Iceland and the Faroes and probably Ireland. If this is agreed then it could help to draw Norway and Iceland into the EU and cement Scotland's position within it.

If Scotland votes Yes then Belgium and Spain will follow the UK example and let Catalunya, Euskadi and Flanders go. One cannot imagine a more exciting time to be alive and to be Scottish.

George Leslie,

North Glassock,

Fenwick.

THE assertion in your editorial on Europe that "those currently wavering will opt for no change over a leap into the unknown" is based on an assumption that a No vote means no change ("End uncertainty over Europe", October 31). David Cameron, William Hague, Jim Murphy and a rising UKIP have all promoted a referendum on UK membership in the next Westminster Parliament; Paddy Ashdown has declared such a referendum "inevitable". None has outlined what degree of separation an "Out" vote would mean in such a referendum. None has stated what the future relationship with the continuing EU would be after the separation of the UK. None has published the legal advice from the EU about the UK's separation.

So the only thing clear about the UK's position in the EU in the event of a No vote in the Scottish referendum is that it is unclear. One thing that is clear about Scotland's position in the EU in the event of a No vote is that our European future will be determined by UK-wide political considerations where isolationism and separatism seem to be growing in popularity.

The whole point of independence for Scotland is that it gives Scotland the ability to choose. What is up for grabs is whether we want that ability to choose, not what choices will be made in the future Scotland. Those choices will be made by the democratic will of the Scottish people through a future Scottish Parliament. Those fearing a leap into the unknown may be wise to take control of their own future (however unknown) rather than rely on a hope that the interests and decisions of our much larger neighbour may coincide with our own.

R Partridge,

54 Irvine Road,

Kilmaurs.

Kevin Pringle's analysis of The Thick of It was well-observed, as one might expect from someone drawing on lengthy experience as Alex Salmond's closest political adviser ("Realistic? You just have to listen to political advisers", The Herald, October 27).

He was also right to recall the politicisation of the UK civil service under Margaret Thatcher, stepped up subsequently under Tony Blair's years in Number 10.

What Mr Pringle failed to mention in his otherwise excellent article, however, is the extent to which civil servants in Scotland have suffered a similar fate since the SNP came to power in 2007.

Alex Salmond insists that every civil servant is responsible for making the case for separation ahead of the referendum in 2014. Far from pointing out the real duty of the civil service is to remain impartial, its head in Scotland, Sir Peter Housden, has proved only too willing to evangelise the nationalist message.

Striking an appropriate balance between impartiality and helping Ministers implement their programme is not always easy for civil servants. As Mr Pringle should accept, though, with the SNP's mantra that "you're either with us, or against us" it's proving more difficult than ever.

Liam McArthur, MSP,

Liberal Democrat, Orkney,

14 Palace Road,

Kirkwall.