ANDREW Hamilton (Letters, March 23) points to the shared language, history, culture and heritage between the nations of the UK, and while some of those things have been good, some have been bad and some have been downright deplorable. However, I am amazed that Mr Hamilton should think that Scots living in England would feel "cut off" from their family in Scotland after independence. Political leaders are agreed that there should be no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit, and neither would there be the need for a hard border between Scotland and England. The reality under our present constitutional set-up is that Scotland's political will is being consistently frustrated by having to suffer governments we didn't vote for being foisted upon us along with their poisonous policies, and a prime example of that is illustrated by the current predicament facing Scotland whereby we are supposed to meekly acquiesce to being hauled out of the EU despite voting overwhelmingly to remain.

A sensible solution would be to forge a different kind of union between England and Scotland; a social union founded on equality and friendship. As someone who is proud to have English blood in my veins I don't regard England as a foreign country, but I do regard England as a different country. And while our shared values must be cherished, our right to follow different political and economic paths should be honoured and respected. On both sides of the Border.

Ruth Marr,

99 Grampian Road,

Stirling.

NICOLA Sturgeon accuses pro-Union campaigners of “jeopardising” Scotland’s place in the European Union (“Battle begins”, The Herald, March 22). However it is she, in her quest for a second independence referendum, who is misrepresenting the wishes of the electorate by pursuing her teenage dream of an independent nation.

There is ample evidence to show that the present Scottish Government is continuing to badly mismanage the affairs this country - which does not bode well for the future. Furthermore, the First Minister is pursuing her dream of independence with complete disregard for the birthright of future generations of Scots, which is likely to be squandered should power be ultimately transferred from Westminster to Brussels.

Ian F Mackay,

5 Smillie Place, Kilmarnock.