Sir, – Your Editorial rightly points towards the “longer term shifts of conviction among a growing number of Scots that the nation’s wellbeing and prosperity are best assured by [being] an independent state within the EU”, (July 30th).
In fact, Scotland need look no further than Ireland for an example of how it might beneficially conduct its economic and diplomatic business outside the UK.
For example, Ireland’s geographic and cultural closeness to Britain meant that Dublin was often firmly and comfortably aligned with London in internal EU negotiations. But Brexit necessitated that Ireland urgently needed new friends.
Subsequently, in 2018, the Irish Government co-founded the New Hanseatic League — along with countries like the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden — based upon “shared views and values” regarding the EU’s economic and monetary union.
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Scottish independence is increasingly a question of “when”, not “if”.
No doubt, a warm welcome awaits an independent Scotland in the New Hanseatic League. – Yours, etc,
JOE MCCARTHY,
Dublin 7.