ONLY a few months ago most Scottish Tories were working to prevent Boris Johnson becoming the leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party, and thus the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, while all Scottish Tory MPs and MSPs were repudiating any possibility that Brexit would result in a "special deal" for Northern Ireland. Even the most ardent pro-Union Scottish politician knows that such a disadvantageous trading arrangement will be the final nail in the coffin for many Scottish businesses which are already seriously concerned about the highly damaging impacts of a hard Brexit or no deal. Who amongst those supporting Better Together in the 2014 campaign to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom has the principles and integrity to now speak out and say: “This is not what I expected and not what I voted for”?

Alternatively, perhaps Gordon Brown, Alastair Darling or Sir Ian Wood could take the time to share their personal wisdom with the Scottish people and openly explain how a UK Government that would contemplate such a "special deal" is thereby serving the best interests of Scottish businesses and furthering democracy in a country where the vast majority of the population either wish Scotland to remain in the EU or would wish an independent Scotland to join EFTA or the EEA.

Stan Grodynski, Longniddry.

ALAN Fitzpatrick (Letters, October 17) wants the SNP to support Brexit. Where has he been for the last three years? The SNP has been saying it was willing to compromise since 2016: “We will support keeping the UK, and or Scotland, in the single market and customs union”.

The UK has negotiated to do just that, and to maintain regulatory alignment to the EU, for Northern Ireland – no reason Boris Johnson could not do the same for Scotland and gain 35 SNP votes for his deal. You might argue it would be against Tory red lines, but as we see with David Mundell’s latest flip-flop, their red lines seem to be drawn on Ayr beach at low tide.

GR Weir, Ochiltree.

THE latest Brexit deal agreed between the UK Government and the European Commission flies totally in the face of the Good Friday Agreement.

This requires that any arrangements must have the consent of both unionist and nationalist communities. However, the continuation of EU customs arrangements under the new deal will require a simple majority in the Assembly.

The DUP is correct to raise these concerns, the irony in all this being that while it is playing up the professed sanctity of the Good Friday Agreement, it voted against it at the time.

Alex Orr, Edinburgh EH9.

I MAY have misheard a clip on the 10pm news tonight, but I thought that I heard Jean-Claude Juncker refer to “England” when he may have been referring to the “UK". I would have expected this from 99 per cent of residents of the United States but not from a fellow European.

No wonder there is a strong support for the SNP, but just like all UK parties it does not try to explain the difference between “Scotland” and “UK" to populations around the world. How long till citizens of the US will stop referring to the “UK” as “England”? Not any time soon.

Malcolm Rankin, Seamill.

IN the current furore over the punishment of Catalan politicians for their criminal activity in pursuit of secession from Spain ("Government accused of cowardice over Catalan jailings", The Herald, October 16), an important factor is being ignored by most commentators. This is that the primacy of unelected judges over elected politicians is a direct result of having a written constitution that must be enforced if the rule of law is to be maintained.

By coincidence, a written constitution is one of the demands of the 50 self-appointed sages from Scotland's elite who have set themselves up as superior to two million No voters with their Declaration For Independence.It is hard to see how they – or the SNP which also wants a statutory constitution – can complain about the principle of legal action against those who choose to flout that same constitution.

Personally, I think the convictions are entirely in order, but the penalties are much too harsh: those found guilty should be surcharged for the waste of public money, banned from holding public office, and made to do some useful community service such as removing ugly secessionist graffiti.

Peter A Russell, Glasgow G13.

DITCH. Open-plan. Excellent order. Never used. Free to good rhetorician.

Donald M Manson, Prestwick.

GUY Stenhouse certainly had a right old rant ("Monopolies serve themselves and education is no different", Herald Business, October 14). "Right" and "old" as he resorts to old right-wing myths of "loopy left", "politics of envy", "nanny state" and "dead hand of state control". Another point of view might suggest rabid right, politics of greed, a caring, responsible state, and liberating the oppressed from the excesses of privately controlled power.

It appears to be a pattern on the right currently to use emotive language to attempt to bolster otherwise failing arguments. The trouble is, evidence shows such an approach tends to lower the standard of debate. Let's rise above that.

Peter Moore, Edinburgh EH14.

Read more: Sturgeon: New Brexit deal treats Scotland unfairly