SO, NOW we have the English answer to the West Lothian question: a Scot cannot become prime minister. The asymmetric devolution which was supposed to solve Scotland's democratic deficit created a new, English, democratic deficit in the West Lothian question. The emerging answer to the WLQ creates a new, Scottish, democratic deficit by disbarring effectively Scots from becoming prime minister. The Scottish response will be played soon enough.

This is like watching a game of constitutional tennis with Hadrian's Wall as the net, the democratic deficit being played back and forth by Scottish unionists on the one hand and, on the other, an English polity turning from unionism to nationalism. Both sides think they have little to lose and will emerge the winner. At the same time, each side thinks it is paying for the other side's (ungrateful) participation. All the while, a dysfunctional unionist media can only provide a separate commentary to each side, fuelling division.

Observe the United Kingdom disintegrate before your very eyes.

Hamish Scott, 17 Carlaverock Drive, Tranent.

YOUR headline suggesting that the English don't like the idea of a Scottish prime minister is both ironic and bad news for Labour. We now have a prime minister whose grandmother was a Clydeside communist, a father who was a Scot. Tony Blair was born and educated in Scotland yet when asked at the 2001 election about his identity he said: "I'm English." For Gordon Brown it is even worse news; he will go to the next election faced by that very nice and palpably English young man, David Cameron.

This partly explains why Labour is launching another attempt to debate what are essential British values. Many of those suggested are English values. Perhaps I could add a few characteristic British values - these could include imperialism and colonialism, racism and chauvinism, poverty and inequality, elitism and lack of democracy, war and aggression.

What should be the response of Scots? First, to recognise it for the phoney debate that it is - it is more about the continued dominance of New Labour than an attempt to find national unity. But perhaps we should launch a national debate on what values we would like to predominate in the new Scotland we can begin to create next May. These could include community and solidarity, democracy and human rights, internationalism and peace, social justice and equality, and a republic. To deliver them we need to create an independent Scotland.

Hugh Kerr, 31 Melville Street, Kilmarnock.

COULD someone please explain to the Labour government the meaning of irony? It hopes to teach schoolchildren "British values" such as fairness, civil responsibility and democracy, which would be better taught to the Labour government.

Its idea of fairness has seen the gap between rich and poor increase. It wants pensioners to wait until 2012 until the state pension increases in line with average earnings - so much for civil responsibility such as looking after the weakest in society. Then the government (like the Tories and the illiberal LibDems) refuses a referendum on Scottish independence - that will be democratic, then. This agenda is pursued by those who launched an illegal war. You couldn't make this up.

Kenny MacLaren, 2 Avondale Drive, Paisley.