DR Gerald Edwards (Letters, October 3) suggests “he Catalans are a minority party”. He is wrong. At the 2015 election the main independence party, Junts pel Si, won 62 seats — six short of an absolute majority. However, with the support of the leftist, but pro-independence Popular Unity Candidacy, there is a majority for independence in the Catalan Parliament. Dr Edwards’s contention is therefore parallel to the argument that there is no justification for another referendum unless the SNP by itself has a majority in our parliament. But, in both cases, a majority is a majority whether from one party, or more than one.

He also disparages the magnitude of Sunday’s Yes vote, though failing to mention that the balance of votes cast and counted was 90 per cent Yes. He does, however, offer the concession that some votes were “lost by police action”, or, put another way, stolen. How far was the Spanish state responsible for a low turnout? It was John Kennedy who said “those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable”. Falling back on the constitution and pleading that “now is not the time”, do nothing to address the issues underlying such demands.

There is a longstanding, clear dissatisfaction in Catalonia with the Spanish state, divided between those who seek independence, and those who would accept a federal solution. The main issue is one of trust in the Spanish state, which can hardly have been helped not only by Sunday’s dreadful events, but by the increasing repression in the days leading up to the vote.

Lastly, Dr Edwards claims that support for the Catalan “result” means the SNP “endorses an illegal action”. If Dr Edwards means the possibility of UDI at some future point being illegal, then he is wrong here too. The International Court of Justice found in 2010 that, in the case of Kosovo, their Unilateral Declaration of Independence was not illegal in international law.

If he means the referendum itself, his argument is unoriginal, merely repeating the distressingly amoral statement by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office that the referendum was a matter for the Spanish Government, and that the rule of law should be upheld, no matter what. Yet, important as rule of law is, this does little more than pose the even more difficult question of how fundamental state rights should be prioritised against the equally fundamental rights of its citizens. That Sunday’s referendum was contrary to Spanish law ignores that many protest movements leading to what we now consider fundamental rights including the right to belong to a trade union and for women to vote, were often at the outset, illegal. Illegality is not something to pursue, certainly in the first instance, but by itself it does not necessarily render conduct illegitimate. Repression by the state to prevent protest surely infringes the inalienable rights of its citizens? At the very least, surely, we can agree that Sunday’s actions by the Spanish state were shockingly disproportionate. The Catalans only wanted to vote, a fundamental democratic right.

Alasdair Galloway,

14 Silverton Avenue, Glasgow.

I AM unsurprised at the reaction to the Catalonian crisis by Dr Gerald Edwards. He states that “there was no opposition movement to speak of therefore inevitably almost every vote would be in favour of independence”. As far as I am aware there was an opposition movement with flags and banners; however perhaps those in opposition were not really bothered that much or they would have cast their votes.

The scenes in newspapers, television and on the internet display a police state trying to stifle democracy. I am sure that even Dr Edwards would be shocked and horrified at the phalanxes of riot police attacking unarmed civilians, or maybe not. Our independence referendum was a model of good behaviour, with the only outburst on the day after when No campaign supporters violently demonstrated in Glasgow’s George Square.

Jim Lynch,

42 Corstorphine Hill Crescent, Edinburgh.

AMID the violence and affront to democracy shown to the Catalan people, the UK Foreign Office bleats its support for “our ally Spain”, but six months ago when Spain flagged up the possibility of reclaiming Gibraltar, and Downing Street refused to condemn former Conservative Leader Michael Howard’s irresponsible claim that the UK could go to war with Spain over the Rock, there was no talk then of Spain being “our ally”. Instead of fair words now, the UK Government needs to make clear to our ally that the shocking scenes in Catalonia have no place in any civilised, democratic society.

Ruth Marr,

99 Grampian Road, Stirling.

GR Weir suggests that “most Scots want devo max” (Letters, October 3), however I suspect many who indeed voice a wish for these conditions do not appreciate what such fiscal autonomy might entail in their own purse. The Scottish Government has already significant powers over income tax in Scotland and has replaced stamp duty with Land and Buildings Transaction Tax. I wonder how much more power we could trust Holyrood with when we witness the mess it has already made of educational development? Additionally, once the full impact of the health needs of our ageing population kicks in during coming years, the Scottish NHS would likely be emptying our coffers similar to trying to fill a sieve under a tap.

I agree, however, with Dr Gerald Edwards on the same page, that the recent attempt by the devolved Catalan Government to hold a referendum was illegal. While being as shocked as anyone was at the heavy police actions, it proved that such unilateral independence seeking gestures are futile. I expect everyone acknowledged that the majority of people who wanted to recognise any validity by actually voting were separatists. Most Spanish nationalists stayed at home in contempt. I consider that the results had no meaning from the start as would any similar attempt by the SNP.

Significantly, our own First Minister is quoted as stating “I think in any democracy there has to be surely a legal way for people to express their view” (“Sturgeon: support for independence cannot simply be cast aside”, The Herald, October 3). Perhaps Nicola Sturgeon should now at last accept that in 2014 the people of Scotland did in fact legitimately express a completely legal view and now keep her blinkered opinions within her own ranks and also distant from the issues between Spain and its region of Catalonia.

Bill Brown,

46 Breadie Drive, Milngavie.