I AM a slow learner. It is only recently that I have noticed that the letters forming Brexit, re-arranged, form Exbrit. Whilst I am quite aware

of the differences between the Brexiters wishing to leave the EU, and the Exbriters of the SNP wishing to leave the UK, there are certain similarities between them. (And, forget not, one-third of SNP supporters voted Brexit.)

Faced with the crisis of globalised capitalism since 2008, we see the retreat into nationalism worldwide; American, Russian, British, English ... and Scottish nationalism. The Brexiters once told us that if we disentangled from the EU the bright uplands of prosperity would await us; now with the prospect of a no-deal Brexit, economic chaos looms. Never mind, they say, the pain will be worth it, we will be free.... to eat chlorinated chicken for one thing.

The Exbriters at the time of the referendum – let me remind those with a short memory including the SNP itself – were in turn promising that we would be one of the 10 (or was it six?) richest countries in the world. The report of its own recent Growth Commission has instead concluded that, after the SNP being the conveyor belt of Tory austerity for a decade, we would then have another decade of austerity in an independent Scotland. Steak? Let them eat haggis. Never mind, they chide, we would be free to determine our own destiny .. fond hope, in a world where many multi-nationals have greater assets than the Scottish GNP.

A Scottish judge recently declared that nationalism is a religion. This is presumably why, despite the existing and growing contrary evidence, support for Brexit and Exbrit (as with Trumperei) remains steady, immune to fact and logic. Clearly, there are many even slower learners out there than myself.

The solutions to the problems of a world in crisis do not lie in nationalism, either of the racist or the cuddly variety. It lies in internationalism, and those seeking solutions to the global crisis should give their support to politicians who strive to espouse internationalism, not nationalism. There is one out there, Jeremy Corbyn, who needs all the help he can get, and he has mine, though as a slow learner it took me a long time to come round to that position.

Ian R Mitchell,

21 Woodside Terrace, Glasgow.

AS the only flag I salute is a red one I feel that gives me a certain detachment when comparing the Saltire with the flag of St George. Scottish nationalism – as represented by the SNP – is tolerant and inclusive but its English counterpart – as represented by the Tories and Ukip – is intolerant and exclusive. I offer as evidence the fact that Scottish nationalists are relaxed about immigrants having a vote in referendums whilst English nationalists made sure the three million EU nationals in this country had no say in the Brexit referendum and were happy to use them in hostage negotiations to wring a better deal out of Brussels after the vote.

There are many issues where I find myself on the same side as Scottish nationalists – but, as a London-bred Leftie (a city where 40 per cent of the inhabitants are immigrants and 320 languages are spoken on a daily basis) I feel nothing but visceral antipathy towards English nationalism. That said, I still think these two competing nationalisms have one regrettable feature in common - they are both animated by false grievances.

This is Britain, not Palestine or Kurdistan – the British are not oppressed by the EU and the Scottish are not oppressed by the UK; both enjoy legal safeguards, human rights, and a freedom from fear that Kurds and Palestinians can only dream of. These unfortunate peoples are subject to conquerors who add insult to injury by denying their national identity with labels like "Turkish hill people" and "Israeli citizens of Palestinian descent". The naked brutality of Turkish and Israeli occupation drives them to take up arms against their oppressors and this courageous resistance is routinely smeared as "terrorism" both by their occupiers and their apologists in the West. How on earth can Scottish or English nationalists have the cheek to pose as patriotic martyrs when Kurds and Palestinians are fighting and dying for freedoms that we all take for granted?

Sean Pigott,

Flat 2/L, 13 Wilson Street, Largs.

IAN McLaren talks of a shameful embarrassment and unmitigated disaster, Nigel Dewar Gibb of extensive damage, cost and confusion, and Jeff Cowan of being embroiled in another Battle for Britain (all Letters, September 19).

I do wish your correspondents would calm themselves; no one knows what will happen, but just about every forecast made about Brexit has been wrong.

Let's wait and see.

David Miller,

80 Prestonfield, Milngavie.

RICHARD Lucas, self-styled leader of the Scottish Family Party (Letters, September 18) points out that persons granted permission to live and work/study in Scotland post-Brexit could simply relocate to England unless measures were to exist which would restrict their freedom of movement within the UK. Mr Lucas appears to have missed the fact that, unless there is to be a hard border between the UK and the Republic of Ireland, anyone would be able to enter the UK unchallenged and unrecorded across the land border in Ireland and would be free to proceed to any part of the UK. This situation would exist regardless of any differences between immigration arrangements in Scotland and England.

Willie Maclean,

48 Braehead Avenue, Milngavie.

AFTER Brexit the UK Government "takes back control" and sets immigration policy that meets the real skills needs of the country, without the excuse that we can't stop EU citizens.

My bet is immigration will increase, despite having 1.5m unemployed in the Uk and, in Scotland, 130,000 unemployed and 150,000 people who have never had a job in their lives.

While there are genuine shortages in many industries, many companies employ immigrants because they're more skilled, work harder and cheaper. One-third of Walker's Shortbread's 1700 employees are immigrants.

After Brexit we can only blame ourselves: our schools don't produce the raw material, our universities rely on the income from foreign students, our people don't want to work in fields or in low paid jobs, too many companies are badly run or under-invested meaning. UK productivity rate is one of the lowest in the developed world, and, despite reforms the benefits system neither encourages or compels enough people to work.

For the future of the country Brexit could be the shock to the system we need.

Allan Sutherland,

1 Willow Row, Stonehaven.