ONE wonders what Sir Edward Carson (1854-1935) would have made of this week’s events with regard to Northern Ireland’s position with regard to Great Britain and the European Union.

His statue, standing outside Stormont, depicts him in defiant mode during an extremely controversial period in the history of Ireland with rival paramilitary groups, rebellion, and the creation of an independent south. He believed that a united Ireland was better off in union with Britain than not being so. When that view did not prevail, his most important legacy became Northern Ireland, where he was hero-worshipped by many and received a state funeral when he died.

It should come as no surprise that the DUP does not wish to see Carson’s legacy diminished with so-called "regulatory alignment" on trade between the north and south of Ireland coming at the price of detracting from the north’s political and economic relationship with Great Britain. The Prime Minister was surely ill-briefed before she sat down earlier this week for her power lunch with Mr Juncker.

Ian W Thomson,

38 Kirkintilloch Road, Lenzie.

SURELY Arlene Foster and her DUP's colleagues' fears that the offer of acceptance of the EU's regulatory system after Brexit would in some way take them out of the United Kingdom could be easily resolved by offering the same deal to Scotland and Wales, which are both (as things stand at present) quite clearly within the UK? Am I being too simplistic?

Mrs May would not like it, of course, but it would be much better than a potential return of "the Troubles".

Andrew McCrae,

35 St Andrews Drive, Gourock.

WHEN does 10 count for more than 35? If you are the Conservative Prime Minister then these numbers are very significant. Thirty-five can easily be ignored but 10 is a number that must be obeyed or you may no longer be Prime Minister. Held to ransom by right-wing Tories who demand Brexit and the DUP, whom she needs to retain power Theresa May is in an impossible position. We wanted to stay, so let's leave England and Wales and with Northern Ireland stay. They voted Remain.

Oh dear, the 10 DUP members would not want that either. If it was not true you simply would not believe it.

Who is going to save us from Westminster politics?

Dave Biggart,

Southcroft, Knockbuckle Road, Kilmacolm.

I AM, not for the first time, “outraged”. I recognise neither the moral nor the political authority of the DUP and other right-wing extremists to rule over me. Aha, I will be told, you have no right to defy the “will of the people” – to which I will respond “the will of the people, my left foot”.

I regard the whole Brexit performance as a right-wing coup .

John Milne,

9 Ardgowan Drive, Uddingston.

REGARDING the situation with the Brexit negotiations, it is reminiscent of a Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera. It is providing so much material for Radio 4 comedy programmes. When is Westminster going to realise it is not in control and call a general election?

Margaret Forbes,

26 Corlic Way, Kilmacolm.

IT is long past time that the myth of it being the will of the UK population to leave the European Union was scotched. More than 28 million of an electorate of about 46m did not vote to leave the EU. This fact appears to have been studiously ignored by most of the media and our representatives in Parliament. Such a fundamental and irreversible decision should not be determined by less than 38 per cent of the electorate.

Michael Elliott,

22 Bruce Avenue, Dunblane.