Politicians in Catalonia and Spain can reach compromise for the people through dialogue

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Politicians will need to put the interests of the people before pure party political advantage (Reuters)

The outcome of the latest vote in Catalonia seems set to resolve little, with all sides trying to claim victory, and equally determined to portray their opponents as having failed. Something we have arguably experienced here in Scotland.

Once the initial sparring over the spoils of this result are over, politicians will need to put the interests of the people before pure party political advantage.

Spain and Catalonia need leaders that can find compromise through dialogue, encouraging people from the constitutional extremities to move back into the broad middle ground in which the majority generally want to live. Calm and confidence in the future can only be found through working together across the fault lines of constitutional division. Let us hope they can find enough true leaders willing to act in everyone’s interests and not just their own.

There are of course many differences between the situation in Catalonia and here in Scotland. But the arithmetic of the popular vote seems to show similar levels of division. Also, curiously, both have independence movements that place a heavy emphasis on future membership of the EU, despite every sign that the EU could simply not afford to set the precedent of accepting either one of them.

Keith Howell
Scottish Borders

How we can reclaim the burgundy passport

It’s quite a common sight in airports to see British citizens with blue covers for their burgundy passports. I hope the firms that manufacture them are making plans to switch to burgundy, because they’ll sell well next year as Christmas presents, delighting some and infuriating others.

Patrick Cosgrove
Shropshire

Will the new blue passport include a page to record the foreign currency we take out of the UK, as the old ones did, ( a maximum of £50 a year at one point, I recall), just in case it’s needed again in the event of a good old-fashioned Brexit- or Jeremy Corbyn-induced run on the pound?

Adrian Cosker
Hertfordshire

I consider myself to be a European citizen. As such I am happy to use a maroon passport to express that position. When the UK Government changes to a blue cover they will effectively be removing my European citizenship against my will.

W M Parkinson
Somerset

We must rethink how we judge sexual consent

In light of a number of rape cases where age and consent have been issues, maybe we should adopt similar advice to the sale of alcohol?

Challenge 25 recognises that it’s possible for children in their early teens to look older than they are, however it’s unlikely that a 14-year-old could pass for over 25. If men were advised to think carefully if a potential partner looks under 25 and consider the possibility that they might be having sex with a child, we might avoid these horrific cases where judges collude with the idea that drunken 14-year-old children are able to consent.

Jane Darougar
London E17