EU has been found lacking

Sir, - As the Catalan crisis intensifies, it will prove a bitter and deterring lesson on the dangers of petty nationalism.

Viewed in this light, Scottish nationalist support for Catalan independence is brutally ironic.

The ghosts of the Spanish Civil War, in which Catalonia chose the republican side, are not far away.

For example, Spain’s feared gendarmerie, the Guardia Civil, which could soon be deployed, still uses the fasces as a symbol.

With Spain having already replaced Catalan police chiefs, it would not take much for violence to break out, and in the current euphoric state of Catalan nationalism, to spread beyond easy control.

Even without violence, we are already beginning to see the economic consequences of the disputed referendum, with banks and other major corporations moving their legal domiciles out of Catalonia.

The uncertainty will now lead to investment in Catalonia drying up.

The behaviour of the European Union, which should have played the role of an honest mediator has been cynical and shortsighted. As the EU focuses on Catalonia, a hard Brexit becomes ever more likely, and the SNP narrative on Europe loses its remaining credibility.

For Catalonia I feel very sad, but for Scotland I am delighted. Otto Inglis. 6 Inveralmond Grove, Edinburgh.