Security fears unwarranted

LIEUTENANT General Sir Alistair Irwin argues that a solely Scottish defence force would be insufficient to look after the security of Scotland (Insight, 3 November). It might just as fairly be said that a solely British defence force is insufficient to look after the security of the United Kingdom, and that is why the United Kingdom is a member of Nato.

Lt Gen Irwin goes on to say that “it would be a brave [presumably Scottish] government that could conclude that the levels of defence and security that could be provided by an independent Scotland would be sufficient for the purpose”.

I can only assume that Lt Gen Irwin thinks of the governments of Norway, Ireland, Finland, Lithuania and New Zealand, to name but a few, as brave.

The truth, surely, is an independent Scotland, particularly as a member of Nato, could be just as secure and well defended as, say, Denmark.

None of the Danes I have met in recent years have seemed worried about their defence and security to the point where they would even consider giving up Danish sovereignty in order to change their present, presumably precarious, situation.

Andrew Parrott, Perth