BREXIT is the farce that just keeps on deteriorating. Just when you think it can't get much worse,along comes a Government report informing us in its 82 pages that Brexit, in any form, will affect the UK economy deleteriously in the short and long term future.

The cross-departmental report commissioned by the Government predicts that our economy will be 3.9 per cent smaller in the next 15 years under Theresa May's current Brexit plan but that a No Deal Brexit, for example, could see the economy shrink by 9.3 per cent. The First Minister's warning yesterday ("Fighting talk from Sturgeon as May heads north to sell her deal", The Herald, November 28) that Scots face being more than £1,600 a year worse off outside the EU could, if anything, be an underestimate based on this report.

When captains of British industry and our own Chancellor, Philip Hammond, are urging the general population to accept Mrs May's deal as "the least damaging of all Brexit options available" it is surely time to exercise some constitutional common sense and hold a second referendum that includes an option to remain in the EU.

Mrs May's ill-advised and, frankly, absurd, UK whistle-stop tour of cherry-picked victims will do nothing to stop Parliament's resounding rejection of her Brexit deal. Her challenge to debate this moribund deal with the Leader of the Opposition will do little to influence public or parliamentary opinion ("Sturgeon accuses Prime Minister of being scared to debate with her", The Herald, November 28). Two singularly uninspiring, charisma-free political leaders debating how far they can drop the country into the mire, even if only one of them has a plan, will not, I fear, make for riveting viewing. It promises to be as entertaining, and as intellectually stimulating, as the lamentable Michael McIntyre's Big Show.

Though Nicola Sturgeon and Boris Johnson have both expressed the desire to be part of this debate they should be advised to avoid it at all costs. Mrs May is not the most gifted of politicians, but she is obdurate and resolute and her intransigence will undoubtedly make her see her deal through to the bitter end irrespective of any debate. The Prime Minister will repeat her dystopian mantra that "Brexit means Brexit", knowing that her whole political future hinges on it.

Owen Kelly,

8 Dunvegan Drive, Stirling.

IT is surely fitting that the absurd Brexit situation should now be debated by two metropolitan politicians whose actual position on Brexit is ambiguous at best, neither of whom wants the “people” to have a final say and who only have the support of a portion of their own parties. No doubt Scotland will get a mention, as the SNP will be subject to the usual misrepresentation on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) by Theresa May (who wanted to stay within the CFP, as did Ruth Davidson and David Mundell). As for the rest, tariffs, access to markets, subsidies for farmers, ability to recruit staff, health insurance, customs at ports/airports, life as we know it and so o n – all in the air, and we are none the wiser.

I prefer the Norway option for Scotland, and it may be best for the UK as well, if Brexit occurs. And Scottish fisheries will be subject to the same deal we have had for decades: Scots locked out of negotiations while Scottish fish stocks are traded off by a “UK” Minister.

At the last election the Scottish Tories boasted that their 13 MPs would be “as lions for the Scottish interest”. The truth? No lions, only a dozen unprincipled sheep, led by a chicken.

GR Weir,

17 Mill Street, Ochiltree.

I HAVE just written to my MP requesting confirmation that they have read the Agreement and the political statement in entirety; that they fully understand it: and which key paragraphs have formed the basis of their decision. I would expect no less from anyone who is representing me.

I encourage readers to do likewise.

Hamish S Eadie,

64 Chamberlain Road, Glasgow.

THERESA May thinks that her Brexit deal will strengthen the Union, whereas I believe the deal weakens the Union by providing different arrangements for Northern Ireland with regard to the relationship with the European Union. If the arrangements work with regard to the Irish land border then these arrangements can be applied at a future date to the Anglo-Scottish border. That will be one less obstacle to overcome when Scottish independence is achieved.

Sandy Gemmill,

40 Warriston Gardens, Edinburgh.

CLIMATE change, poor productivity, ageing population, falling education standards, mass migration, energy security, and cyber threats are all examples of the many problems that our society faces.

After years of debate and a referendum, there is still no clear evidence, or majority of opinion that remaining in the EU would solve any of our ‘real’ problems. The same can be said for leaving the EU, whether it be under the negotiated "deal", no deal, EEA, Norway or Canada-style with various plusses. While we and our politicians devote most of the national debate to arguing over Brexit, little progress is made on tackling the issues we really care about. However, the Brexit genie is already out of the bottle and we only get one wish – with every option involving further distraction, negotiation and disunity.

Whatever your views on Brexit, one thing that should be obvious to us all is that any attempt to add Scotland’s separation from the UK into the mix would be irresponsible folly. It would simply add to the distraction with no clear notion of which of our problems it is supposed to address.

There are three post-Brexit scenarios. It could be a success for the UK – in which case why would Scotland want to separate? It could be a disaster – in which case why would Scotland want to repeat and compound the error by separating from its biggest trading and cultural partner? Or it could be somewhere in between – leaving us wondering why we spent so much time and energy on it when we should have been concentrating on what really ails us.

Let’s resolve Brexit one way or another and then get on with making the UK the best it can be.

Mark Openshaw,

42 Earlswells Road, Cults, AberDeen.

NICOLA Sturgeon claims Scotland will be significantly poorer as a result of Brexit. The cheek of it. How dare they infringe the SNP's particular field of expertise – making Scotland poorer?

Iain Walker,

69 Schaw Drive, Bearsden.

GILBERT and Sullivan, thou should'st be living at this hour, Britain hath need of thee.

George Murray,

113 Dundonald Road, Troon.