IT is starting to unravel. As the economy grinds towards a reverse the simultaneous announcement that House of Fraser is seeking rent reductions on its UK shops and Doosan Babcock will soon shed hundreds of Scottish jobs should sound major alarm bells for those pursuing Brexit. Not only does it demonstrate in a complex global economy the folly of the “little Englander” mindset behind Brexit; it also highlights just how exposed Scotland in particular is to the commercial decisions of multinational companies.

Moody’s is beginning to doubt the credit worthiness of the House of Fraser, the mainly Chinese-owned company attempting to downsize its UK retail arm and trades here from properties owned by British Land. Logic would suggest that, if the company cannot trade at a profit, it could close, not a problem in Beijing but disastrous for Glasgow and Edinburgh. Likewise,why should South Korean Doosan care if a Scottish subsidiary reduces its workforce ? The company is there to create profits for shareholders not to worry about how Scottish workers support themselves and their families.

Our retail industry is dominated by foreign-based companies. Asda, Aldi, Lidl are all here to make money. Yes, they may sustain jobs but the supply chain and profits generated all suck money out of Scotland and the UK. Our much-vaunted whisky industry is exactly the same, with more than 80 per cent of it foreign-owned.

It has to be obvious to even the most ardent Unionist that our London-centric puppet Government treats Scotland and much of the English regions as second-class citizens: it is ignorant of the subtleties of Irish politics. We will just have to put up with whatever happens. Not only are we at risk with Brexit of throwing out the baby with the bathwater but also the bath, the loo and the house.

David J Crawford,

85 Whittingehame Court,

1300 Great Western Road, Glasgow.

THERESA May’s much trailed Cabinet reshuffle has turned out to be a mere tinkering around the edges of government rather than a serious revamp, as a few ministers who were virtually unknown by the public were replaced by others equally unrecognisable (“May reshuffle looks to modernise Tories”, The Herald, January 9).

Justine Greening, flouncing into the night after refusing to be parked at Work and Pensions, provided some relief from the boredom of it all, and by far the most appealing character to cross the threshold of No 10 was the Downing Street cat.

Although into a New Year, we still seem burdened with the same old Mrs May, who appears to be not even in full charge of her reshuffle, with Jeremy Hunt, whom she’d wanted to move, managing to stay on as Health Secretary and take on responsibility for social care into the bargain. This is the dithering, swithering Prime Minister who wants us to trust her to negotiate a good Brexit deal with the EU.

Everything Mrs May touches, from a hasty state visit invitation to a dangerous President, to a disastrous general election campaign, to a shambolic reshuffle, turns to farce. I wouldn’t trust her to look after the cat, let alone the country.

Ruth Marr,

99 Grampian Road, Stirling.

AT the Conservative party conference in 2002, a certain Theresa May, memorably observed that people referred to the Tories as the “nasty party”.

Since then, and despite valiant attempts to try erase this reputation, it still hangs around the Tories like a bad smell.

Most recently the appointment of right-wing journalist Toby Young to the board of the university regulator in England, the Office for Students, highlights that such a reputation is still alive and indeed flourishing.

As a columnist Mr Young has made a number of controversial comments, including a description of wheelchair ramps as part of “ghastly” inclusivity in schools. In addition to this were highly offensive remarks about female anatomy, eugenics, the disabled and gay people.

In spite of such remarks, it is a damning indictment of the Conservative Government that he was appointed to the role in the first place. Indeed, it should be noted that, despite considerable public concern, he was not sacked but resigned.

Yet again, the Prime Minister’s judgment and authority are open to considerable question and 2018 starts with a “weak and wobbly” Ms May successfully maintaining this hard-won reputation.

Alex Orr,

Flat 2, 77 Leamington Terrace,

Edinburgh.

AS the country digests the reshuffle at Westminster, it could be seen as the next chapter in the catalogue by its author, Theresa May. But this is becoming a catalogue of disasters and appears from her newly appointment cabinet to be ongoing. The need for this reshuffle was of the Government’s making and the country is tiring of the Prime Minister’s sticking-plaster Government.

Despite Mrs May’s apology in relation to her Government’s handling of the NHS, we have learned that the Westminster Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has had his portfolio increased to include the massive challenge of social care; you could not make it up. We have also learned that Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke has not only remained in the Cabinet but has also become Lord Chancellor, a position regarded higher than that of the Prime Minister’s, despite the catastrophic failure of Universal Credits which resulted in a partial U-turn by the Government.

These appointments demonstrate that Mrs May has spared no thought for those suffering the consequences of her Government’s disastrous social care and welfare policies.

Catriona C Clark,

52 Hawthorn Drive,

Banknock, Falkirk.

MARTIN Redfern (Letters, January 8) chides Nicola Sturgeon for keeping the independence option on the table. As a dyed-in-the-wool Nationalist I am not despairing. The political situation is fast moving and unpredictable, more so than I have seen in my 83 years.

The First Minister is right to keep the options open; the Westminster Government has no plans other than a tired “Brexit is Brexit”.

As far as the Unionists are concerned, Mr Redfern will be aware that Scotland in Union is beavering away against an independence referendum; it used to call itself Better Together but has accepted that it was not.

Jim Lynch,

42 Corstorphine Hill Crescent, Edinburgh.