Letters: Good Friday Agreement won't be saved by Brexit unicorns

That reality seems to have escaped Labour and the Tories, however, with frontbenchers deciding to celebrate the anniversary of one the most important peace accords in Britain's recent history by actively undermining it. In a move as dumbfounding as it is dangerous, both the Brexit Secretary David Davis and Shadow International Trade Secretary Barry Gardiner used the occasion to dismiss the importance of this vital collective achievement.

In these most uncertain of times, we must take extra care to recognise and safeguard the Good Friday Agreement, we cannot allow Brexit fantasies to tear it asunder. The EU will not accept that and nor should any responsible British politician.

We cannot pin our hopes on Brexit unicorns and magical thinking; now is time for real and actual solutions to the Irish border issue. Peace is too important to be sacrificed on the altar of a shambolic Brexit.

Keith Taylor

Green Party MEP for the South East

It stuck in the craw somewhat to see Tony Blair and Bill Clinton triumphantly celebrating 20 years of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

Yes, the Agreement was a momentous occasion that paved the way for relative peace in Northern Ireland – although punishment shooting, sectarianism and violence are still an everyday occurrence. But given that there is no functioning government in Belfast, that politically the two communities are as far apart as ever, and that neither side, the DUP nor Sinn Fein, seem capable of running the NHS, the education system or the roads, all while almost literally burning money due to the "Cash For Ash" scandal, it is hardly time to jump for joy.

Colin Rae

Glasgow

We can always rely on Keith Howell (Letters 8 April) for a source of amusement through unintentional irony.

Referring to Alex Salmond, Mr Howell states that he has “a knack of of describing events which suit his own agenda” and that “Salmond has always honed his opinions to present the UK in the worst possible light”.

This coming from the man who has never had a positive word to say about Scotland and religiously presents the UK as a faultlessly benign and munificent benefactor to feckless and dependent Scotland.

Douglas Turner

Edinburgh

Keith Howell writes "Salmond has always honed his opinions to present the UK in the worst possible light". Mr H implies, perhaps unwittingly, that he's comfortable with a political structure that enables a bunch of bumbling incompetents like Gove, Johnson and May to rule the roost in our country. We didn't vote for the but we are stuck with them

Douglas Muir

Huntly, Aberdeenshire

Insights into the SNP Growth Commission’s formula for a thriving independent Scotland, suggest a switch from a Scandinavian inspired vision to a market driven antipodean alternative (‘Revealed: new blueprint for independence case’, Sunday Herald, 8 April). The Nordic approach of funding generous public benefits from a combination of high taxes and oil revenues has had its appeal amongst some independence supporters. Pursuing a model based on New Zealand’s market led economic growth model paired with sound public governance, will also appeal to some.

Yet arguably, neither stance offers answers to the short to medium term conundrums facing an SNP government that in recent years has funded its popular universal benefits through transfers from the rest of the UK under the Barnett formula. With a fiscal deficit of over 8 per cent of GDP, Scotland is completely unprepared for meeting EU joining criteria that would demand the figure be no more than 3 per cent. No matter how people voted in the EU referendum, few would want to risk being stranded outside both the UK and the EU, but this is just where SNP wishful thinking could leave us.

Keith Howell, West Linton, Peeblesshire

The history of nations throughout the world is replete with examples of countries which were either colonies or in other political systems assigning them to a position of subservience, denying them the freedom of action which they ultimately achieved as their national right by peaceful or other means. Conversely there is no single example of a reversal of that change in status, once gained. Equally there are many nations similar in size or smaller than Scotland recognised by the "mightiest" and enjoying the fruits of achievement which political independence and only political independence can convey.

The opportunity won in 2014 to gain such status was, by in electoral terms a small margin, spurned. The reasons for that "failure" have been ventilated many times and need no further commentary. It is inevitable that the future of Scotland will be determined by a further plebiscite, for which there is now growing support, recognising as it does the unwillingness of the Westminster system to initiate or even contemplate any meaningful action to deal with the concerns which have been and will continue to be raised by the Holyrood Government. The body language of Theresa May and her front bench, together with the football-terracing behaviour of the "Scottish" Conservatives illustrates perfectly the attitude of the Westminster power group to any aspiration of freedom of action which is the target of the independence movement. One must ask why the latter dislike Scots so much and is that why they were sent to London ?

In common with other emerged and emerging nations there will be many tasks to take on board, and again in common, difficulties will be encountered. There exists now or in history no country which has not made a mistake, but the right to do so is paramount, irrefutable. Westminster has spectacularly and amply exercised that privilege, but denied it to the rest of the UK.

Scotland is a rich country, rich in natural resources, in the motivation and innovative nature of its people, in its famous welcoming attitude to immigrants. The potential to advance to a highly successful nation state is plain to see, but for as long as it is constrained and hamstrung by Westminster, quite irrespective of the party of government, the realisation of that potential will be

frustrated. Independence is an absolute necessity.

John Hamilton

Bearsden

Theresa May told her cabinet that the use of chemical weapons in Syria showed an erosion of international legal norms. The Prime Minister is obviously referring to legal norms for the powerful and not civil society.

There are de facto two moral codes operating in most countries: the law the vast majority has to abide by and a law that permits the powerful to transcend this law and commit otherwise illegal acts with impunity.

There are, of course, many countries in the world with their own codes of behaviour but all conform, more or less, to a worldwide standard of basic morality – that is, for the common people. So why this second code for the powerful?

Historically, the powerful have been adept at modifying the rules that apply to the rest in pursuit of their own interests. They have been able to use the instruments of state to justify to themselves and to their agents the rightfulness of their actions.

Nevertheless, it is illogical to have conflicting moral codes.

There is an empirical reason why all civil societies' moral codes conform to a global pattern: it is because morality is intrinsic in the human make up, as natural and essential as the air we breath but cannot see. We depart from its precepts with peril because morality is balance and justice and is constantly seeking to bring all things into harmony.

Its jurisdiction is universal and eternal.

Geoff Naylor

Winchester

This June will mark Animal Aid's first ever Summer Vegan Pledge – a 30-day vegan pledge that gives non-vegans, and those curious about a plant-based diet, all of the information and help they need to go vegan for a month, and hopefully stay vegan thereafter. With the number of vegans in the UK growing by more than 350 per cent in 10 years, and a recent study suggesting that now seven per cent of UK adults identify as vegans, it has never been easier to adopt a plant-based diet. The number of vegan products has grown rapidly with new vegan products hitting shelves seemingly on a daily basis. There are now vegan alternatives to almost everything – including "chicken" nuggets, ice-cream, burgers, and even steak available in supermarkets, local shops, coffee shops, restaurants and beyond. A vegan diet is kinder to animals, it is better for the environment and it is also healthy.

Tod Bradbury

Campaign manager Vegan Outreach, Animal Aid

Mark Boyle's response to your April Fool was way over the top.

Lighten up Mark. We all need a bit of respite from the political gloom & doom that makes up much of our daily news.

I saw no connection to the Salisbury poisonings in this tale but then some people can connect anything they choose if there is a will to do so. The April Fool is a long-standing tradition and long may it continue. The more convincing the tale the better. It had me for a wee while.

Keep up the good work Sunday Herald

Tarbolton

Why is it that the superb quality of the singing of the National Youth Choir of Scotland in their concert at the City Halls, Glasgow, on Friday April 8 had not a single piece of Scottish music in the repertoire?

Would it have happened in Wales? Could it be that the fear of exciting traditional faction among the different strong native musical traditions has frightened the WeeGees? The whole world sings Scottish songs. I have heard them sung in Maori and in Mandarin Chinese. Why not then by a Scots choir? May be with just one song each year, taking the geographical traditions in turn, so as not to frighten any one. We could, slowly, learn about each other too.

David Gray

Glasgow