Talk out Trident

Published on 26/01/2013 00:00

Your suggestion, that the debate on why Britain needs nuclear weapons will be shut down because of a focus on Trident and independence (Leader, 25 January), is wrong. It is the 
combination of the pressure for independence and the crumbling rationale for Britain ­keeping its weapons of mass ­destruction that is likely to lead to nuclear disarmament. 

At their heart, both the SNP’s vision of a Scotland free from nuclear arms and the noble Lords’ rejection of keeping ­Trident at sea are rooted in concern about the effect of nuclear weapons.

The Liberal Democrats have rightly pointed out that we shouldn’t be contemplating flattening Moscow, the largest city in Europe. The more ­nuclear weapons become the subject of debate, in London and ­Edinburgh, the sooner they will be banished.

The 2014 referendum provides Scots with a chance to seize the initiative and to pull down the house of cards that is the justification for Trident today.

John Ainslie

Scottish Campaign for 
Nuclear Disarmament

Southpark Avenue

Glasgow

Seldom have I read such arrant nonsense as the statements from a specialist defence professor, Ron Smith, of Birkbeck College, London to MPs (your report, 24 January).

The level of breathtaking ­arrogance in his submission as reported in your columns would be difficult to surpass.

From his expert standpoint one is asked to believe countries such as Norway, Finland and others with smaller populations have no idea how to organise the defence of their countries.

Perhaps the good professor could advise us clueless Scots as to when the “defence experts for small countries transfer season” opens so we can then hopefully move quickly to secure the expertise of one of these superior beings, maybe before hopefully he himself is gratefully snapped up by another small country with nae idea!

S Fergusson

Hillend Road

Arbroath