DISCUSSING an independent Scotland, Robert Hoskins (Letters, July 25) expresses concern over workers and pensioners being paid in a new Scottish currency because it might be worth less than sterling, although he offers no rationale as to why that might be. Perhaps he might stop to consider the current plight of UK pensioners living in the EU who have seen the purchasing power of their pension plummet because the pound has fallen in value against the euro and there are indicators it will continue to do so and it is entirely possible that a new Scottish currency might be worth more than sterling.

In his dismissal of future oil revenues as any panacea for Scotland, Mr Hoskins will be aware of the suppression by successive Westminster governments of the 1975 McCrone Report on North Sea oil, which said among many other things “Scotland’s currency would become the hardest in Europe – Scots could possibly become richer than their southern neighbours – Scotland’s budget surpluses would be so large as to be embarrassing”. Of particular interest in the report was the identification of the West of Scotland as an area of special needs given its deprivation problems and how these might be improved with the revenue from oil. Westminster could very easily have created a special fund for Scotland at the time but no, the greed was too great and even the Britoil HQ based in Glasgow was closed and moved to London.

Given the continuing problems of deprivation today and the recently reported huge number of drug deaths, it is quite simply unbelievable anyone living in Scotland would wish to continue under a Westminster regime that has consistently lied to Scotland and concealed the benefits of North Sea oil and it continues, as evidenced by Mr Hoskins’ letter. That the price of oil has fallen and partially recovered is well known, but is it a resource of no real further benefit to Scotland? Consider the report in November 2018 by Andy Critchlow, head of energy news for EMEA who, writing in The Daily Telegraph said, without a single reference to Scotland, “think what the UK would be like without the vast wealth generated by the equivalent of 44bn barrels of oil pumped from British territory over the past 40 years – there are up to 20bn barrels of oil still out there – North Sea oil should still give Britain the cash-generating power to defend its economy and the leverage to build new trading relationships overseas”.

Westminster wants us to believe oil is a millstone round our neck and there is a Scottish phrase for that: aye, right. It is unthinkable Westminster would set up a Scottish Oil Fund from oil and the vast gas revenues coming on-stream, especially as our new PM has the view that £1 spent in Croydon is better than £1 spent in Scotland. It is time to do it ourselves, they have had their chance and failed.

Alan M Morris, Blanefield.

THE letter by Robert Hoskins on the financial consequences of an independent Scotland (July 25) makes some valid points, but not regarding the state pension being paid in a new Scottish currency.

Current pensioners will continue to be paid in sterling (as happens to anyone resident in most European countries).

In fact, anyone still in employment with 35 years of qualifying years will be treated similarly.

Those with less than 35 years would receive a mixture of UK and Scottish Government pension.

It would take at least a generation before a full Scottish Government pension, in whatever currency applies is paid.

Jim McSheffrey, Giffnock.

IN the House of Commons Boris Johnson asked if Scotland really wanted to join the euro, a currency which the Leave Campaign consistently dismissed as a joke during the referendum. Today (July 26) I bought €305 for £302. Effectively the two currencies are at parity, whereas one could almost get €2 for £1 when the euro launched.

I can’t help feeling that the euro joke is on me and I just don’t see what is funny. Perhaps Scotland should join asap. Maybe the poor English should do likewise. Things can only get worse.

Ronald Cameron, Fort William.

SINCE he took over leading the SNP at Westminster, Ian Blackford has used every exchange he has had with Government leaders to attempt to demean, insult, or be downright nasty to whomever he faces in the House.

Never once has he attempted humour or wit to make a point. It has been the same mind-numbing and palpably phoney grievance-peddling, delivered in dead pan style, and antagonism, clearly meant to placate the zealots in his own party. He seems to relish in particular attacking the weak and wounded.

Perhaps with a rumbustious new PM in office, ho will take no prisoners and gives as much he takes, Mr Blackford could try grown-up politics.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh EH6.

BOTH Private Eye, as reported by Alistair Grant ("A legacy torpedoed by Brexit chaos in Commons", The Herald, July 25) and Mr Grant are far too kind to Theresa May. Private Eye's blank page suggests she did not achieve anything; she actually achieved much, but none of it worthy of praise.

The “hostile environment” for immigrants and the infamous vans with “Go home” emblazoned on them being driven through areas with ethnic minority populations hardly count as achievements of which any civilised human being would be proud. For a daughter of the church, they don't speak well of her Christianity.

Mr Grant seems to accept that Mrs May kept her promise to end austerity. This would be laughable were it not so tragic for the victims. Figures published this week in Aberdeen show the continued rise in the need for food banks and the human stories of suicides resulting from the transfer to Universal Credit tell a very different story.

I suppose Mrs May's best hope, though not one to be welcomed by the rest of us, is that her successor so destroys livelihoods and social cohesion through his mad determination to tear the UK out of the EU, that her

failures fade into insignificance.

Dr RM Morris, Ellon.

WITH the usual sanctimony that we expect of the SNP, we hear time and time again that the party is against the privatisation of health care. And yet the SNP continues to use private hospitals to cut waiting lists, averaging 6,000 operations per year since 2007. Perhaps instead of harping on about independence, Nicola Sturgeon should focus on ensuring we can all be treated timeously by the devolved NHS in Scotland.

Jane Lax, Aberlour.

Read more: Time to focus debate on the high costs of independence