GERS is our annual reminder of how badly we fare as part of the UK compared to other small independent countries in Europe. Last year Ireland’s GDP grew by 6.7 per cent, whereas UK growth was one of the lowest in the EU at 1.4 per cent. To grow our economy, Scotland needs more workers, yet the UK is stopping EU freedom of movement.

Half of the "Scottish budget" is controlled by Westminster on UK priorities, some on things Scotland doesn't really need such as charging Scotland £3 billion a year on defence more than £1bn more than similar-sized countries. Also, GERS includes an annual expenditure of more than £3bn in interest payments on the UK’s massive “black hole” of £1,800bn run up by successive London governments.

When Scotland contributed a surplus of £150bn (£300bn in today’s money) to the UK Treasury between 1980 and 2010 this was mainly spent on tax cuts and infrastructure projects in the London area rather than in Scotland. This explains why our shipbuilding sector isn’t comparable in size with Norway’s and why we import almost all of the offshore hardware.

How then does an oil-rich nation with a strong onshore economy, a balance of trade surplus plus successful emerging industries such as biotech and renewable energy end up with a set of accounts that suggest it’s a failing economy? GERS is an estimated set of regional accounts for Scotland as part of a failing UK, where London sucks the lifeblood out of all other regions, and not for Scotland as an independent nation.

Mary Thomas, Edinburgh EH11.

GIVEN that the 2016 EU referendum question was of the form "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?" – and "leavers" won, then the SNP should have no problem with a Scottish independence referendum question of the same form; for instance: "Should Scotland remain a member of the United Kingdom or leave the United Kingdom to become an independent country?"

This form of wording more comprehensively reminds voters on the day about what they are voting for.

Indeed, I was surprised that for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, the Electoral Commission passed the sparse question "Should Scotland be an independent country" which it considered more neutral than the Scottish Government’s preference for the leading question "Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?"

However, the bare question can still be considered biased towards "leavers" – who lost; nonetheless, having learned nothing, and with nothing but blind faith, the SNP is suggesting the same bare/biased question for a hypothetical Indyref2.

Of course, any form of question wording will be considered biased by some; but the way forward is considering the aspirations of both sides in the debate and then applying the criterion of relevant information in a minimally worded question – as per my above suggested question for a possible Indyref 2 (which takes account of the SNP’s desire for "independence" to be included somewhere in the question).

Philip Adams, Crosslee.

IN any further referendum on whether or not Scotland wishes to part company from the United Kingdom it follows that the obvious question to be asked is simply whether Scotland wishes to leave or remain, rather than dressing it up with a vague, emotive and ultimately erroneous suggestion of independence as in 2014.

Those supporting Leave but hoping for a repeat of the 2014 Yes/No vote for or against so-called independence need to justify why they support a repeat of the recognised inherently-unfair bias in favour of Yes in a Yes /No vote, and also how they can call it independence if they intend for Scotland to join the EU and accept the major losses of control that would involve. Do they need to be reminded that a major motivation for the Leave vote in the EU referendum was for the UK “to take back control"?

Alan Fitzpatrick, Dunlop.

I QUITE understand Neil Mackay’s frustration with the Yes Campaign (“I'm a Yes voter but I’m now sick and tired of my own side”, The Herald, August 20).

I am unsure of how long Mr Mackay has been a Yes voter, but I have been a member of the SNP for 53 years, most of this active, but now inhibited by age and health. I look at the people marching and can only wonder at the vast strides the SNP has made. Where were they in the hard days? The answer is “Probably not born at the time”, so not their fault.

Like him I am also wary of Wings over Scotland; I read him every day, but not the comments – life is too short. From my point of view their views are academic; I want independence and expect Scotland to go down different electoral paths, that is democracy. Throughout my life I have been exasperated by the SNP, but as I wanted independence there was no place else to go.

It took some time but I now fully accept that the SNP is not the fount of all human wisdom and knowledge but it will do for a start. It is true that people are imperfect, but some are more imperfect than others.

So I will read what I want to read, listen to what I want to hear, and watch what I want to watch – and Vote SNP, both votes. Anything else is divisive.

Jim Lynch, Edinburgh EH12.

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