BILL Brown (Letters, November 3) advocates retention of Trident as “we should always carry a big stick”. If the occasion demands it, is Mr Brown prepared to use "our” big stick prior to us being attacked (assuming that we have any control over its use)? If he is not then Trident has no value. Used as a retaliatory weapon it, and all the other nuclear weapons, would ensure that life as we know it on Earth would most likely be extinguished. Our big stick would grant us the rare privilege of being among the first to go.

Nuclear weapons have played a large part in ensuring that we have not had to fight any global wars for the past 70 years and hopefully will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. However, as part of Nato we already have enough nuclear weapons at our disposal to wipe out life on our planet many times over. Removal of our small part of this massive arsenal is almost meaningless. Our real efforts should be to ensure that Nato is competent and that we contribute our share logistically and financially to keep it so.

The Alice in Wonderland state of the UK Government policy is that they are going to spend hundreds of billions updating a weapon that cannot be used while at the same time inviting a possible opposing superpower (China) to build and run the largest nuclear plant in the country. They say they are “nonchalant” about the risk that the Chinese may plant devices during the build with which to blackmail us in the future. Probably they are hoping that James Bond will still be around to neutralise the threat.

Bill Hendry,

6 Blackwood Road, Milngavie.

ROBIN Dyos (Letters, November 4) should look carefully at the Westminster election results for the Scottish Parliamentary seats. The SNP party stood clearly against Trident and were clearly elected by Scottish voters. This was not a new policy by the SNP but a long0held and published belief. The people of Scotland do not want Trident but if he wishes to base it in Cambridge then can be our guest.

Dave Biggart,

Southcroft,

Knockbuckle Road, Kilmacolm.

THIS week I attended the East Neuk of Fife Probus Club to hear a first-class talk on Vision Aid Overseas, whose aim is to assist in the provision of spectacles for people in developing countries to overcome their disability and have a meaningful and contributory lifestyle.

We were informed the world economy is £180bn worse off because of poor eyesight. I thought, that's not a lot of money considering the UK Government intends in this period of austerity to renew Trident at a cost of £167bn. It quickly dawned on me that if I earned £25,000 per annum I would need to live for almost seven million years to pay this. The UK Government is surely having a laugh.

David Myles,

Kirkmay Road, Crail, Fife.