What has happened to our democracy?

Following the result of the EU referendum, there are those who are calling for a return because they did not like the result.

To vote again would take the votes of 17.5 million voters and trash them. In Scotland we had an independence vote and voted by majority to stay in the UK and yet it was always Ms Sturgeon's intent to keep independence very much on the table. Now the UK has voted for Brexit she will not accept that result either, instead using that excuse to table independence all over again showing that she never accepted the Scottish result on independence - or the result on Europe.

D. McLachlan, West Dunbartonshire

A lot has happened in a week and not all for the good. If you read the weekend papers you could be forgiven for feeling totally despondent about the future of the UK. Our country is so deeply divided mainly by the different circumstances in which we live - a fact which seems to have been ignored by the remain campaign. It is these differences that allowed the Brexit campaign to scrape through. It is my belief that referendums which cannot be changed must have a majority of 5% between the opposing parties.

That way the winners can truly be said to have the will of the people behind them.

H. Dickson, by email

Correct me if I’m wrong but did Scotland vote against Independence and desired to remain part of the United Kingdom a short time ago? It seems to have slipped our leader’s mind. Now we Scots have voted in a referendum asking the UK to stay or leave the European community. It looks like us Scots are about to begin negotiations to stay in Europe, whether the rest of the UK and the Scots leave voters like it or not. With a population of 5.2 million what makes us think that we have any right to just ignore the fact that we entered into the referendum as a member of the UK? What if London, who voted to stay in, decides that they will just leave England and become a different country and Northern Ireland does the same? If, by any stretch of the imagination Scotland was allowed to remain would, we be the only place in Great Britain with uncontrolled immigration, the Euro, no Queen, and lose any fishing rights.

Rosemary Keery, Gordon Drive, Glasgow

I really need to stop watching those programs about people on benefits as its playing havoc with my blood pressure.

Why do these people always have a house full of pets? Cats, dogs, rabbits, snakes, to name but a few that are eating £20 to £30 a week of their benefit money.

The latest one that really pushed my BP up was a young couple who were getting £800 a month and were struggling. That's £140pm more than I get with my State Pension that I paid into for over 50 years.

Maybe if she got rid of her four cats and two rabbits she could manage?

John Kerr, Coatbridge