Scottish independence

I was under the impression that it was up to the Scottish people to decide the outcome and not the English, so why have we got all these outsiders telling the Scots which way to vote?

I say, leave it up to the people whose vote it depends on.

T Seale, Middlesbrough.

OH dear, oh dear. No wonder the Scots want to leave the UK. It is evident that the South-East based political classes - ministers, MPs and journalists - still don’t know where Scotland is.

Twice in The Times of September 9 reference was made to Scotland being “North of Hadrian’s Wall”.

Doubtless if the Scots vote Yes on September 18 we Northumbrians (most of whom live north of Hadrian’s Wall) will be despatched by some Government Minister into the arms of Alex Salmond.

Rodney Atkinson, Stocksfield.

I AGREE that a vote in Scotland in favour of independence would mean the end of Great Britain as we know it and it is a strong sentiment in the minds of macho men.

It could throw into question whether we qualify to have a permanent seat on the Security Council of the United Nations.

I have the anatomy of a man but, to me, the idea of being a citizen of a great power leaves me cold. It would not take away my identity as an Englishman, it would not make me somehow a diminished person.

In my experiences travelling abroad it is the Queen who once gave me a distinguishing identity.

I was at a party in the Philippines and was introduced as a man from the land of the great Queen, but what stamped me as personality was my participation in the spirit of the party which was a light-hearted celebration It is the attraction this country offers as a place where people are treated decently which is the sense of pride I am pleased to be part of.

If the Scots want their own government they should be granted it and with grace.

The Northern Echo editorial (Sept 10) may reflect a majority view but I don’t share it

G Bulmer, Billingham.

I CANNOT understand why David Cameron and Ed Miliband have both taken time off from Westminster to visit Scotland, thinking that their presence may help to sway Scottish voters in their way of thinking.

If we are to encourage our Scottish neighbours to stay in the Union, then a more appealing collective should go up to Edinburgh and speak to the locals. I'm sure that the Scots would be more pleased to see the English comedian, Bobby Davro, the Welsh songstress, Shirley Bassey and Northern Ireland's former snooker champion, Dennis Taylor, out and about on their streets, reminding them of what we have achieved as the United Kingdom.

The strange thing is though, Sean Connery could be waiting with a welcoming party in the windows of Edinburgh Castle, with 'Vote For Yes' placards ready for a hillside charge.

That sums it all up for me. Let the Scots have their own say and vote for what they want themselves. Any intrusion from England, Wales and Northern Ireland might not be welcome on this matter.

Scotland has not been this fired up since their brave World Cup exploits in 1982. So let's stay out of it and let the people speak. That's what democracy is all about.

Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

SHOULD Scotland vote to separate from the rest of Britain then all our lives will be diminished.

It is not scaremongering to remind people that a win for Alex Salmond next Thursday could plunge the whole of Britain into an economic crisis the following day.

We are “Better Together” but we should not remain together in the same way as we are today.

There is a deep malaise in our current system of government. Far too much power has been centralised in Westminster.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are rightly demanding more political and economic control of their own futures.

England, where 85 per cent of British people actually live, has had no distinct voice on the constitutional changes that have taken place over the past five decades.

Local government has been emasculated year on year since Margaret Thatcher won in 1979 and there are compelling arguments for some form of regional government that empowers business, industry and local communities.

Voter turn-out for all elections is so low that our democracy is undermined by non-participation.

We need a full constitutional convention. It is time to stop tinkering with our system of government. It is broken so let’s fix it.

Ian Jones, Middlesbrough.