NICOLA Sturgeon decries the return of blue passports (“Sturgeon brands the return of blue passports ‘insular nonsense’”, The Herald, December 23). What colour does she think Scottish passports will be after independence?

Our First Minister was a major player for the SNP in the independence campaign prior to the vote in September 2014. Her illogical brand of independence will see an independent Scotland retain the burgundy EU passport. She also advocated retaining the English pound. Even our local Russian stooge, aka Alex Salmond, now admits that was a mistake.

Both of these positions were incompatible with a truly independent Scotland.

We can’t be independent if most policy decisions are being made in Brussels or Strasbourg.

We can’t be independent if economic and financial decisions are made in the City of London.

Freedom for Scots requires us to be out of the EU, with our own currency and with blue Scottish passports.

John Black,

The Scottish Jacobite Party, 6 Woodhollow House, Helensburgh.

NEVER let it be said that the First Minister ever lets the opportunity to jump on a bandwagon pass her by, even if it is usually going nowhere.

Once again she picks the wrong side by joining in on the faux-shocked side to the UK Government announcement concerning the replacement of the current EU wine-coloured document.

The boring facts are that when we leave the EU we obviously cannot travel abroad on an EU passport so naturally we need to plan ahead now to produce a UK replacement. Incidentally, does anyone seriously believe that, heaven forfend,we become independent that our First Minister would have as a priority a garish tartan passport perhaps adorned with a stag.

This is non-story blown up out of all proportion. As usual, Ms Sturgeon’s judgment is lacking.

James Martin,

43 Thomson Drive, Bearsden.

NOT only will the new UK passports be the wrong shape and size but, instead of a proper dark blue, they are to be produced in a shade akin to that of Scotland's national flag (the Saltire) which I can only presume is a doomed attempt by Theresa May's Government to appeal to SNP voters.

John Eoin Douglas,

7 Spey Terrace, Edinburgh.

THE outcome of the latest vote in Catalonia seems set to resolve little, with all sides trying to claim victory, and equally determined to portray their opponents as having failed (“Priority must be a peaceful solution for Catalonia”, Herald editorial, December 23). Something we have arguably experienced here in Scotland.

Once the initial sparring over the spoils of this result are over, politicians will need to put the interests of the people before pure party political advantage. Spain and Catalonia need leaders who can find compromise through dialogue, encouraging people from the constitutional extremities to move back into the broad middle ground in which the majority generally want to live.

Calm and confidence in the future can only be found through working together across the fault lines of constitutional division. The numbers might not add up for either pro-independence or pro-Spain parties, but finding a working combination of the two would demonstrate to the people that politicians are genuinely trying to working for all. Let us hope they can find enough true leaders willing to act in everyone’s interests and not just their own.

There are of course many differences between the situation in Catalonia and here in Scotland. But the arithmetic of the popular vote seems to show similar levels of division. Also curiously, both have independence movements that place a heavy emphasis on future membership of the EU, despite every sign that the EU could simply not afford to set the precedent of accepting either one of them.

Keith Howell,

White Moss, West Linton, Peeblesshire

WHY are Catalans and Scots “separatists or secessionists” to the BBC and other media, when Brexiters are apparently not?

GR Weir,

17 Mill Street,

Ochiltree.

SIR Tom Hunter was right in expressing his disgust at the lack of information made available to the public before the Referendum vote (“Sir Tom laments ‘utter scandal’ of Brexit vote”, Herald Business, December 22).

I sympathise but my gripe may well be from a different perspective than that of Sir Tom. For example, there has never been, so far as I'm aware. any explanation for the Greek tragedy to be taken off the EU stage. Are the tragedians still in the wings? Are they on sick leave and, if so, what is the account and who is footing the bill? Is short, how much is it costing to keep this show off the road?

It may be best that not only Sir Tom, but everybody should relax and take stock that the EU is in terminal decline no matter who votes for what. This point of view is put splendidly by Douglas Murray (no relation) in his book on the subject with Greece only one example among many exhibiting clear signs of approaching demise.

All empires have eventually ended in the dustbin of history and therefore there is no reason to confidently assume that this experiment is an exception to that rule.

George Murray,

113 Dundonald Road, Troon.

WHEN they come to make their New Year resolutions is it too much to expect cheerleaders for Brexit to face-up to the deceit, guesswork and false promises of their referendum campaign and accept the fairness of a second referendum when the negotiations are concluded?

Or is it fingers crossed Rules, Ok?

R Russell Smith,

96 Milton Road, Kilbirnie.

I AM offended by Chris Deerin’s selection of Ian Blackford’ s laying a wreath at the Cenotaph as an item of fun (“Now raise a glass to the daftest political moments of the year”, The Herald, December 26). He commented on Ian Blackford wearing “the rather startling combination of a dinner jacket and what appeared to be a micro kilt”.

The “startling” dinner jacket was a Prince Charlie jacket which is formal evening wear when dressed in the kilt. As to the length of the kilt it should just be mid-knee, but as I do not have Mr Deerin’s prurient vision I cannot comment on that. I would suggest he should get out more.

When the Westminster Leader of the SNP laid a wreath at the Cenotaph to commemorate the hundreds of thousands of Scottish dead and wounded this was no occasion for levity.

Jim Lynch,

42 Corstorphine Hill Crescent, Edinburgh.