I AM disappointed that Blair McDougall (May 7) should have so misread my letter that he thinks I was writing in defence of SNP economics, factual or fictional. I was, rather, trying to raise a point of fundamental importance and shall be grateful for the opportunity to try again.

Professor Morgan is asserting that Scotland is massively subsidised. This is a state of affairs with which he and others seem to be entirely content.

My point is that if there were a set of Scottish books then, as a matter of principle and for the good of our own self-esteem, we should want to see them balanced. This should be so whether we are in favour of the status quo, devolution, federation, or independence.

It is simply not good enough for Unionists to pretend that, having identified a hard ball in the game, there is no need to play it. If the subsidy hard ball exists then sooner or later we shall have to play it.

Since the existence of the subsidy has clearly arisen through the efforts of Unionist politicians it does not seem unreasonable to ask them how it is to be removed. Before we get that far, however, it would be interesting (and indeed essential) to see a full set of Scottish books.

James Nelson,

17 Watermill Avenue, Lenzie. May 7.

PROFESSOR H G Morgan (May 5) wonders why the SNP want independence and EMU membership. Seemingly he does not like small countries looking after their own affairs. Maybe he is just benevolent as he goes on to say, ''Germany swamped Denmark, Norway, Holland, and Belgium in a few days in 1940''.

I can remember these were swamped, but what has he done with France? I think it suffered a similar catastrophe. Britain would have been next if Hitler hadn't ordered a halt to the German advance against his generals' wishes to finish the job.

It was to be proved that large countries can be swamped as well - it just takes a little longer. As they say, size doesn't matter.

G Willis,

69 The Crescent, Lesmahagow.

May 6.

NO wonder William Wolfe is cock-a-hoop (An absolutely new era, May 8). The Scottish Assembly will indeed be a ''legislative Scottish focus for democratic political action'', trying to wrest power from Westminster until we get ''independence'', or the oxymoronic slogan, ''independence in Europe''.

Weakening Westminster will strengthen Brussels, not Scotland. We will have less power and influence in Europe than we have in Britain, especially if we join the single currency and England, our largest trading partner, does not. We will cringe at our folly.

Duncan Bryson,

109 Martin Avenue, Irvine. May 10.