I NOTE with interest your report on the latest gross domestic product (GDP) figures published by the Scottish Government (“Scotland is no longer wealthier than the rest of the UK”, The Herald, November 5). The statement in your headline may or may not be true – economics is somewhat loosely described as a science – but does it matter anyway to the case for or against independence? After all, no nation in history has become independent solely to gain economic advantage over its erstwhile partner(s).

The fundamental moving force for independence is the desire to control one’s own destiny and to create the kind of society in which one believes. It is in principles such as these rather than the undulations of the market that the true wealth of nations lies.

Lindsay Matheson,

52 Largo Rd, St Andrews.