WHILST agreeing with Iain Macwhirter (“Sturgeon must now fight for a People’s Vote on the EU”, The Herald, July 18) that there is a woeful lack of leadership from the Opposition in respect of offering a focus for the anti-hard-Brexit campaign, I believe Nicola Sturgeon would have serious difficulty being the self-appointed leader of such an opposition.

This would be particularly true if she was to propose a further UK Brexit referendum. This would go down like a lead balloon in rUK and might even harden anti-EU sentiment giving ammunition to the xenophobic elements of the Brexit campaign. One can also see the risks in Nicola Sturgeon proposing the rerun of a referendum given the prospect of a second independence referendum.

However, I believe there is a solution.

There was a clear majority in Scotland in favour of remaining.

I would suggest that there would be no issues in the Scottish Government running its own Brexit referendum in Scotland, especially in the light of the catastrophe that awaits in these chaotic negotiations.

The questions could be carefully constructed rather than the binary in/out of the original referendum and could also assess the appetite for independence as an alternative to the chaos the UK is careering towards, dragging Scotland with

it.

A decisive result would strengthen the argument that Scotland wants nothing to do with this Brexit deal and sees independence as a potential alternative.

William Thomson,

25 Lithgow Place,

Denny.

MAY I be so churlish as to place a damper on the impish delight which Brian Beacom takes in cataloguing Scotland’s shortcomings (“Where Michelle Obama really needs to visit in Scotland”, The Herald,

July 19), by asking him what precisely he would have us do about them?

As I presume he knows, Scotland is run by a devolved administration with substantial but limited powers, and by a party of (generally speaking) experienced, competent and conscientious politicians who are keenly aware of the issues Mr Beacom raises. Under this system, Scotland is better than it might be, but not as good as it could and should be.

Would Mr Beacom like us to hand the running of Scotland over to, say, Ruth Davidson’s Tories or Richard Leonard’s Labour? Given that those parties in Scotland are simply the tools of their masters in Westminster, and that the general competence of the latter is on a par with their interest in or understanding of Scottish affairs, I don’t think that would solve anything. Perhaps he would have the Scottish Parliament abolished altogether and Scotland subjected again to direct rule from Westminster, by a Westminster Government whose breathtaking incompetence is being watched in incredulous horror by the rest of the world? Still less would that work.

Or perhaps Mr Beacom intends no positive result at all from his article: perhaps he is simply bent on persuading us that we are just a nation of unredeemable duds. Fortunately most of us do not believe that (neither, I would risk a bet, does Michelle Obama); and we will disprove it to even Mr Beacom’s satisfaction once we regain full control of our own affairs.

Derrick McClure,

4 Rosehill Terrace, Aberdeen.

DO politicians and those who support them really believe that the public’s heads zip up the back? The outright falsehoods and the blatant lack of integrity is eye-watering.

Donald Trump – unbelievable, yet he is still President of the most powerful country in the world.

Tory Party – take your pick, but the behaviour of the Chief Whip on pairing will suffice as a example just now (“Call for Tories to quit for ‘appalling conduct’ in Brexit vote”, The Herald, July 20).

Labour Party – again take your pick but its anti-Semitic non-policy will do for starters.

SNP – if all else fails blame Westminster and make sure you avoid responsibility for anything problematical.

To listen to the post hoc excuses and justifications as if they have an ounce of justification makes you wonder what planet you’re living on. Integrity should be an absolute sine qua non for anyone seeking public office. In truth it has become a “sine”’ all on its own. Yes, the human condition can slide any of us into non-integrous behaviour which should be dealt with with a genuine apology and the acceptance of consequence.

What we are seeing more of in the political domain is a nonsensical attempt at behaviour justification that merely serves to compound the folly and further treat the electorate like brainless morons.

Perhaps we should invite resignation as an MP or MSP for that matter, of those who genuinely feel they are unable to behave with integrity in public office. Hopefully we would not be left with mere tumbleweed rolling through the floor of the house.

Dr Tom Williams,

34 Orchard Drive, Giffnock.

THE latest wheeze from the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) is designed to block the resolution of constituents’ problems, carrying on in their fashion of looking after the Government, or should we say the Tory Party.

MSPs will no longer be able to contact the DWP JobCentre Complaints Resolution Team to discuss problems with Employment Support Allowance, Job Seekers Allowance or Universal Credit. Only Westminster MPs will be able to do this. This downgrades MSPs and makes them second-class citizens. MSPs will have to write letters and wait for a written response; the errors and oversights in the benefit system are not to be queried and the claimants are left without money.

This discriminatory decision is a further action against Scotland; after the 2014 Referendum David Cameron made Scottish MPs second class by insisting only English votes for English laws, which barred any MP for a Scottish seat from ever becoming Prime Minister. However at the same time he decided that the Westminster Parliament would have a mandatory five-year term, a decision overturned when the current Prime Minister went for a walk in the hills in Wales, and lost her majority, so David Mundell need not despair – he could become the Toom Tabard Prime Minister, at least as appetizing as any in the field at present.

I jest, but downgrading MSPs is another attack on Scotland.

Does this ruling affect the Welsh and the Irish?

Jim Lynch,

42 Corstorphine Hill Crescent, Edinburgh.