AS the Brexit negotiations drag on with little or no movement by the EU to find a sensible compromise especially on payments and the Northern Ireland border issue, it may well be time for the UK to consider walking away from any further talks and accept we will have to operate under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules and then follow up with a bilateral free trade deal sometime in the future. However, in doing so we should accept that there will be winners and losers in the short to medium term.

For starters, manufactures would be the big winners, which is good news for hard-working people who are currently on low-paid jobs and for those who believe that rebalancing the economy is the better way to alleviate inequality rather than to increase the tax burden which kills growth. The reason for optimism is because the recent fall in sterling would more than cover the cost of any tariffs imparted by the EU on British goods. Of course the opposite would be true for imports from the EU which would be hit by a double whammy of a strong currency plus tariffs by the UK. which in turn would make it even more attractive to increase home manufacturing. One example of this is the welcome prospect of an alloy car wheels factory in the Highlands to supply the UK motor industry as part of an expansion plan by GFG Alliance of its Lochaber smelter near Fort William.

On the losing side would of course be what is classed as our services industry, which overall equates to 80 per cent of the UK economy. However, if you drill down the figures. the financial exports to the EU (which has most to lose) represents only a relatively smaller number compared to exported manufactured goods, with the latest figures showing an initial potential loss of around £16 billion under WTO. But on the other side of the coin Switzerland has shown that its financial sector has boomed outwith the EU. We should also not forget that the tourist industry (also in the services sector) is a big winner with a competitive currency – take Skye and Inverness tourist numbers as a perfect example

In summary, we currently export more to countries outside the EU (largely under WTO rules) and as Sir James Dyson reminded us recently, currently the EU only represents around 12 per cent of world trade and that 90 per cent of world growth will be outside the single market in the future. Time to move on and conduct bilateral trade deals (like Canada) with whichever country or groups of countries that wish to enhance trade with us and do not demand in return close fiscal and political union with laws that over-ride our own courts.

Ian Lakin,

Pinelands, Murtle Den Road, Milltimber, Aberdeen.

ALISON Rowat's belief in the desirability of leaving the EU seems to be impervious to reason or to evidence ("Bounty awaits the premier who can head off this mutiny", The Herald, November 16)). Her concern for the “democratic rights of the 17,410,742” who voted to leave the EU in the advisory referendum is no doubt sincere, but it is strange that she is not at all concerned about the similar rights of the 48 per cent who voted to remain. She also fails to show any concern for the similar rights of UK citizens resident in the EU and of under-18s, who were prevented from voting despite being those most directly affected by any referendum decision.

Her dismissal of the arguments by those wishing to remain is hollow at best. Just because our highlighting of the lies of the Leave campaign and reminders of Scotland's expressed preferences have been repeated many, many times, does not make these any less true. Any more than the repetition of the mantra that a narrow majority of 52:48 per cent represents the “settled will of the people” makes that true.

The real shame, of course, is that her analysis of the Parliamentary arithmetic is probably correct. I fear we may be unable to stop the Gadarene rush to please the Tory's shady backers, by leaving the EU before tighter controls on financial dealings are imposed. Ms Rowat should perhaps take a while to consider the damage that this stupid decision will bring to the rest of us and the profound negation of true parliamentary democracy that has occurred.

Dr RM Morris,

Veslehaug, Polesburn, Methlick, Ellon.

YOU state that the First Minister and the Prime Minister of the UK have reached an “understanding”over Brexit (“Sturgeon and May reach ‘understanding’ over Brexit”, The Herald, November 15). This was said to be a striking change of tone.

Was the First Minister attending Downing Street on behalf of the British-Irish Council (BIC), established by Westminster in the Good Friday agreement, of which Scotland is the secretary? Scotland has very wide representative responsibilities. The “understanding'” is surely premature because the BIC has not fully discussed Brexit yet, let alone come to a decision. There has already been criticism that the secretariat of BIC has failed to meet its potential of aiding areas within the UK and with Ireland.

Ian Jenkins,

7 Spruce Avenue, Hamilton.