Gordon Brown, should he become the Labour leader, will need to address the West Lothian question and should take the bold step of leading Labour Scottish MPs away from the lobbies when parliament votes on policies that will only hold sway in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Mark Jackson
Charlton,Worcestershire

LABOUR CUTS: Does anyone blame the Scots for wanting away from the Union by voting for the Scottish National party (SNP) rather than Labour? I don’t, what with the former education secretary showing no trust in the state education system, a prime minister apparently devoid of rational thinking and the NHS in England cutting costs so heavily that even life-saving cancer drugs are considered excessive.

If I were Scottish I would seriously consider cutting ties.

Nathan McGee
Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne

MORE FOR ENGLAND: As a patriotic Englishman, I look forward keenly to Scotland achieving full independence. I, and ever increasing numbers of my compatriots, cannot wait for the end of the preferential treatment received by Scotland from English taxpayers. Good luck to the SNP in its campaign to remove this millstone from around the necks of each and every Englishman.

John Cook
Harestock,Winchester

DEVOLVING DOORS:Brown’s comments on the union of Scotland and England being desirable may be true, but let us not forget that this Labour government let the devolution genie out of the bottle. Until Scottish Labour MPs stop interfering with English matters (NHS and education) for which they were not elected then, as far as I am concerned, Scotland can become independent and the best of (British?) luck to it.

Francis Luscombe
Plymouth, Devon

PEACE TREATY: Brown has every right to be “feart”. His neighbouring constituency of West Fife fell to the Lib Dems and the rumblings in Fife among Labour supporters is they have had enough of the West Coast mafia running and ruining Scottish Labour.

The unionists need to clearly define what the benefits are of continuing with a treaty that is past its sell-by date. Emotion is not enough. Many Scots now see Brown’s posturing as more to do with his next job than in the best interests of UK plc.

Peter Thomson
Kirkcudbright

REASONS FOR THE SNP: I will vote SNP in May because I believe Tony Blair to be an unprincipled individual who lies through his teeth while honestly believing he is telling the truth.

Brian Gibbon
Glenrothes, Fife

A CROSS TO BEAR: Please, oh please can someone offer some measure of assistance to the centrist disenfranchised voter in Scotland? Where does one place one’s cross to totally abolish the nonsensical comedy populated by third-rate politicians at Holyrood?

David Todd
Glasgow