THE announced closure of the Honda factory in Swindon, a Leave-voting area is a huge blow to the area alright (“Workers say Honda move is cause by Brexit, despite bosses denial”, The Herald, February 19). One must wonder at the statements that it is not due to Brexit but to global issues. The Tories claim it has nothing to do with Brexit. Is Brexit not a global issue? The phrase Global Britain is trotted out by Brexiters to justify the need to leave the EU when the UK can globally set its own trade deals which they say the EU prevents us from doing.

Ironically, the EU-Japan deal has just come into force and the Japanese can now export directly into the EU and vice-versa.

At present, the Honda factory in Swindon exports the Civic even to Japan, so globally within the EU it was performing well.

The announcement is another reminder that the UK car industry – or rather the English car industry, as all factories are based in England – is a misnomer. Ownership and investment funding, a great deal of research and development, and control and decision-making largely come from outwith the country. Even iconic, quintessentially English brands Rolls-Royce and Bentley are German-owned and Jaguar Land Rover is owned by Tata of India, India once the Jewel in the Crown of the British Empire.

The ironies abound in this Brexit saga to date. But when people in the areas where there are (or soon were) foreign and EU car companies established because of direct access to exports to the single market, voted to leave one must question the wisdom of such people. The predominance of that vote drags Scotland out of the EU against its democratic vote to remain in 2016.

The decisions by Renault-Nissan and Honda are just the start of a move-out and added to the likes of UK-based Sir James Dyson and Sir James Ratcliffe deciding to shift as well do not augur well at all.

North of the Tweed, the insular, cringeworthy, wee crabbit Unionist branch parties criticise the First Minister leading a trade delegation from Scotland to France, Scotland’s third-largest export market, to promote technology companies (“First Minister accused of running way to Paris to avoid income tax vote”, The Herald, February 19); one wonders if they too are infected by a “British-itis” mindset?

Nicola Sturgeon will address France’s Foreign Affairs Committee and open the Scottish Government’s France Hub. By creating open contact and cementing a new “Auld Alliance” via Holyrood, one sees clearly that positive outward and open links are being established which will bring not only benefits but more significantly good will for the future.

John Edgar,

1a Langmuir Quadrant, Kilmaurs.

SO, following her US trip, Nicola Sturgeon visits France on what is billed, at least in part, to be a trade mission. If that’s the case, then maybe fair enough; it’s not unusual for non-Westminster politicians to travel in an attempt to boost trade for the part of the UK for which they have some responsibility.

But let us remember the rest of the UK is by far Scotland’s largest “export” market. Why is Ms Sturgeon not also visiting various parts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland to grow yet further our significant trade with elsewhere in the UK? Were she to do so, it might help deflect criticism that she has little interest in strengthening ties with the rest of the UK – and that she uses her trade mission trips to talk down the UK and talk up her own separatist agenda.

Martin Redfern,

Woodcroft Road, Edinburgh.

IT won't be long til the complete folly of Brexit is brought down on all of us, Leavers and Remainers the same, and fishers, farmers, financiers and whoever else fell for all the utter blarney of it, are wringing their hands and blaming everybody else.

Already the farmers, admittedly not avid Brexiters, are sending out serious labour shortage distress signals, and it cannot be long til fishers, some very avid Brexiters among them, will be lamenting like mythic mermaids not only a dearth of foreign filleters but the drastic delays in getting their fish to their established European consumers. Sending fish to America, Asia, and Australia isn't as assured as sending it fresh to Paris.

The old Scots saying, "Ne'er cast a cloot til May be oot" aptly applies to the UK leader of that name in this instance. Alas oor cloots already appear to be cast long before the month of May.

Ian Johnstone,

84 Forman Drive, Peterhead.

WHILE ploughing through Ian Lakin’s letter (February 19), I came across the following excerpts: “… unless they can coherently explain the economic case for independence they are going nowhere…”. He also claims “now is the time for them to accept the democratic will of the Scottish people”.

In the first place as the UK launched into Brexit as an ill-advised, ill-judged and ill-negotiated exercise, with a loss of investment, jobs, industries and a total shambles of the UK as a whole, he is in no position to lecture Scotland as he has done. As to the “democratic will of the Scottish people”, we voted 62 per cent to remain and 38 per cent to leave.

It seems to me he is flying a mouldy kite to distract attention from the appalling and insoluble bourach his politacl leaders have got us into.

Britain will be devouring a very large piece of humble pie, but unfortunately Scotland will be given a large share.

Jim Lynch,

42 Corstorphine Hill Crescent, Edinburgh.

THERE is no such thing as Theresa May’s Brexit deal. The Withdrawal Agreement (WA) is merely a legal contract to pay £39 billion, in exchange for which the UK secures a transition with no veto rights, and is bound to accept all fresh EU law.

On payment of the exit fee the UK also secure the ‘’privilege’’ of starting talks on a deal. But, unlike the WA, the terms of that deal must be agreed by all 27 EU states. As experience to date has shown, this will be a negotiating nightmare. We’ll face the same cliff-edge in two years, but with less leverage and with unanimity to contend with. In a report the House of Lords has said the UK could walk away from the EU in 2019 without paying a penny.

No matter what the PM says now, in order to get any trade deal, the UK will end up having to accept the single market for goods and the customs union, freedom of movement, fishery quotas, and the writ of the European Court. The EU will lock in goods trade but exclude services – we’ll have sacrificed the biggest part of our economy for absolutely nothing.

In those circumstances who in their right mind would sign such a WA and pay £39bn just to get to the table to discuss terms for leaving?

Doug Clark,

6 Muir Wood Grove, Currie.

Read more: 3,500 jobs to go