ALEX Orr (Letters, April 5) describes ex-Alex Salmond aide Alex Bell’s comments on the SNP misleading us on issues like the euro ("SNP ‘writing slogans on a bus’ on euro, says ex-aide", The Herald, April 5) as being “tired old arguments”.

As a strong proponent of the EU and Scottish independence, Mr Orr likes to imagine that the EU will readily bend to Scotland’s will if we ever apply to join as an independent country. Other senior figures in the independence movement have also argued that the EU will give Scotland special dispensation from various EU policies that do not suit us.

In order to avoid wasting time with “tired old arguments”, perhaps Mr Orr could urge his contacts at the EU to provide Nicola Sturgeon with firm assurances in advance that we will not be expected to face economic austerity to meet inconvenient EU joining criteria, and that we will also be allowed opt-outs from joining the euro, and the Common Fisheries and Common Agricultural policies.

Given the intransigence of the EU in allowing reasonable terms for the UK to leave its "club", Mr Orr and others should hardly be surprised that many fear their reassurances on the EU are based on little more than wishful thinking.

Keith Howell,

White Moss, West Linton, Peeblesshire.

DR Gerald Edwards (Letters, April 4) states that the instruction from the British people in 2016 was rela-tively clear and concludes that the only democratic choice is that “we simply must accept the original decision to leave”.

Leaving aside the point that “relatively clear” is hardly good enough in making one of the most life-changing decisions of our generation, sincere efforts have nevertheless been made for nearly three years now to “honour the will of the people” and these have proved unworkable. This is because of inherent contradictions in the whole concept of Brexit, which at best were not made clear, and at worst lied about, at the time.

Whatever the public may have wanted in 2016, seems now vulnerable to whatever subjective inter-pretation one chooses to impose on it. Certainly Theresa May’s deal is not what was promised then, and Dr Edwards’s second alternative of a “hard Brexit” is one that would be irresponsible given the problem of the Irish border, never mind the additional material disruption which would adversely af-fect every one of us.

One must also remember that 63 per cent of the electorate did not actually ask to leave Europe, that many young people and other interested parties were disenfranchised in a procedure which was hastily cobbled together, and that there still remain unanswered questions about the legality of some of the 2016 campaigning.

What is most needed, if the sorely-tried patience of our European partners will bear it, is a long-term postponement of proceedings to allow European elections to take place and to give the public the chance to decide if we really want to go ahead with the second best that is on offer, or to keep what we already have. Only the public, properly and honestly informed, can put this genie back in the bot-tle.

Robert Bell,

40 Stewarton Drive, Cambuslang.

BY her choices and actions, Theresa May's Brexit political behaviour suggest persisting pro-Remainer sympathies.

Perhaps her promise "No deal is better than a bad deal" was camouflage.

Is she a Remainer fifth columnist?

Her choice of a mainly Remainer Cabinet, especially Philip Hammond, of Oliver Robbins as our Brexit negotiator, ruling out No Deal and collaboration sought with the Opposition leader bespeak continued Remainer preference.

Her consistent anti-Midas touch, Brexit dubieties and attitudes to the electorate and her party fully justify replacement by a PM who will act with conviction in realising the 2016 referendum result.

(Dr) Charles Wardrop,

111 Viewlands Road West, Perth.

SO, what of these promises, guarantees to be made at the last minute, “up to the wire” as David Davis MP was wont to say? These promises were to be generous to a fault, because of the so-called need of the European Union to retain trading largesse with Britain.

All gone. These promises were never there to be made, and now there is just an embarrassed silence from Brexiters.

And WTO trade deals to be signed by Liam Fox MP. With no fewer than 19 countries, as I recall. The last count was four. Was Tristan da Cunha one of these?

The Australian Prime Minister was terse and apt. “Bollocks,” he said, adding that most trade is now re-gional – his being in South-East Asia.

There is nothing left now but frenzied obsession. There is Jacob Rees-Mogg, from his millionaire’s Somerset fastness, with total ignorance of the lives of ordinary people and their need to be employed. And yet he blunders on. Sir William Cash, obsessed with his own rhetoric, his frenzied fascination for legal jargon. Why do they insist, these people, that a majority of but two per cent at the Referendum is enough to bring catastrophe to our country?

James A Findlay,

76 Dundas Street, Edinburgh.

QUITE recently the Scottish Government attempted to introduce a nominated person scheme based on responsible people such as teachers being aware of, and in prescribed circumstances alerting, care services of children they believed to be at risk in a variety of circumstances. This was met by howls of outrage at the nanny Scottish state by the LibDems, the Conservatives and the Labour Party in Scot-land, although it was widely supported by our social services.

Earlier this week (April 1) Theresa May announced a similar scheme for England. I await the response of, in particular, the Scottish Conservative Party.

John Jamieson,

60 Craigie Road, Ayr.

WE now have a rogue Parliament cheered on by a rogue Speaker that is hell-bent on creating chaos. Not only are a majority of MPs determined to ignore public opinion and prevent Brexit, they are keen to hand over even more powers to the EU. In the process they risk destroying our democracy and turning this country into a colony of the EU. Perhaps that is what many of them wish.

It is time for the Queen to intervene and prorogue Parliament in order to allow us to leave the EU and trade on WTO terms. That is the only way that certainty will be provided for business and we can start to repair the divisions in our society.

John Hunt,

20 York Road, North Berwick.

Read more: Sturgeon and Rees-Mogg in Twitter spat