Nicola Sturgeon’s bid for independence depends on a bad Brexit

I rarely agree with Boris Johnson but he’s right in suggesting Nicola Sturgeon’s independence argument will be dented by a successful Brexit.

The ever canny Sturgeon right now is busy making hay while the sun shines. Most consider the Brexit process chaotic – undoubtedly we’re in the midst of a serious constitutional crisis. Her solution is predictable: independence, and, most importantly, quickly, while chaos reigns.

But of course, it may well not always be as bad. We could leave with a decent deal; inevitably trade deals will be forged across the world.

Sturgeon’s greatest fear must surely be that we become accepting of Brexit – or even that more Scots embrace it. Time is the enemy of Sturgeon’s independence crusade du jour.

Martin Redfern
Edinburgh

In his article John Rentoul appears to call into question the honesty of our likely next prime minister, when he comments: “Johnson is promising things he cannot deliver” (Can we really hold back the £39bn Euro exit bill?).

Is it not a matter of very great concern that we are contemplating as our next political leader an individual who is most noteworthy for his blundering dishonesty?

This surely begs the question as to why so many political commentators are not calling him out more clearly for the rogue and charlatan he is, before he is allowed to ruin the nation, as he so very nearly did for London when he was its disastrous mayor.

David Curran
Feltham, Middlesex

One hesitates to use the word “treason” in today’s political atmosphere but if there were a “crime” of “abusing the national flag” Boris Johnson commits it many times on a daily basis. He brazenly stands in front of a huge Union Jack on a factory wall inciting Tory party members to give a thumbs up to Brexit. His stated policies however are almost certain to lead to the break-up of the union. It would be more fitting if his next gimmick were to appear with the cross of St George painted on his face.

Richard Greenwood
Bewdley

To maintain a centre of calm and stability amid the chaos created by Boris Johnson’s no-deal Brexit on 31 October, Jean-Claude Juncker will stay on as president of the European Commission till next June. In contrast to Britain, Europe has wide-ranging plans to cope with the fall-out overseen by the intelligent German bureaucrat Martin Selmayr, Juncker’s right-hand man and the most senior EU civil servant.

Selmayr’s “no-deal” planning is designed to “protect the vital interests of the EU” so that collateral damage to the UK is inevitable especially to our jobs, economy, services, air travel and food products with long border queues. I suspect Boris will be over cap in hand by November but the withdrawal treaty terms will remain. He clearly thinks he can force Selmayr to change his mind but that really would be a neat trick!

Rev Dr John Cameron
St Andrews

I need a ramp and accessible shower to make my life as a lifetime wheelchair user easier. The cost is about £7,000. That is almost exactly the contribution the state says I have to contribute to the work.

The state can find £2.4m to renovate a property to house people who already had very acceptable accommodation. The nation should be appalled by the scandal of Frogmore “Cottage”. When will these scrounging mediocrities realise that those who wave flags and cheer at the royal couple are not a majority. The majority are indifferent, or, if aware of the facts about them, despise the royal family for their greed and arrogance.

David Mason
Darlington

This week we highlighted the concerning lack of evidence around pain relief drugs for children living with chronic pain.

One in five children report chronic pain and many manage their pain with drug treatments. Yet these prescriptions are based on evidence gathered from research on adults. Children are not mini-adults, and clinically should not be treated as such.

There is simply not enough robust, high-quality research that these drugs are the most effective and safe way of treating children’s chronic pain. Astoundingly, there have only ever been six trials globally involving just 393 children, compared with hundreds of randomised controlled trials involving 300,000 adults.

Lack of evidence doesn’t mean lack of efficacy – we are advocating for more research, funding and policy in this area so we can better understand how to best treat children with chronic pain.

Healthcare policymakers should use this study as a catalyst to address a clear shortfall in funding in this research area. We must better equip our clinicians with high quality evidence to better serve children in pain.

Professor Christopher Eccleston, University of Bath & Cochrane Pain, Palliative, and Supportive Care Review Group
Stewart Long, Versus Arthritis
Professor Peter Tugwell, University of Ottawa
Dr Robert Boyle, Imperial College London
Dr Emma Fisher, Versus Arthritis / University of Bath
Professor Brian Anderson, University of Auckland
Dr Nick Wilkinson, Evelina London Children’s Hospital
Dr Christine Chambers, Dalhousie University / Solutions for Kids in Pain
Dr Chantal Wood, University Hospital of Limoges / University of Limoges
Dr Marie-Claude Gregoire, Dalhousie University
Dr Navil Sethna, Harvard Medical School / Boston Children’s Hospital
Professor Elliot J Krane, Stanford University
Dr Gustaf Ljungman, Children’s University Hospital / Uppsala University
Dr Andy Gray, University of KwaZulu-Natal
Dr Miranda van Tilburg, Campbell University / University of North Carolina / University of Washington
Dr Lauren C Heathcote, Stanford University
Dr Tess Cooper, University of Sydney