DAVID Mackenzie’s Agenda article (“Our anti-Trident voice must be heard in forthcoming crunch talks at UN”, The Herald, February 27) is timely in drawing attention to the forthcoming international treaty negotiations on the legality of and potential ban on the possession of nuclear weapons. This process has been generated by the failure of nuclear weapons states to fulfil the conditions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty: “to pursue negotiations in good faith towards a treaty on general and complete disarmament”. And it highlights the real concern that folk in all countries have over the risk of any nuclear conflict. The catastrophic effects would involve all nations – nuclear and non-nuclear, combatant and non-combatant.

The negotiations start in March but continue in June. Is there any hope that the UK Government might change its dismissive attitude, show some understanding of the concern expressed so clearly and allow itself to be represented at the negotiations?

Duncan MacIntyre,

74 Montgomery Street, Eaglesham.

I NOTE with interest the Agenda contribution from David Mackenzie of the Scottish Scrap Trident Coalition.

Members of the UK Government state that they are in favour of multilateral nuclear disarmament. What practical steps have they taken, or do they propose to take, to bring about this disarmament? Surely renewing and upgrading Trident is a step in the opposite direction.

I accept that those in favour of keeping our nuclear weapons believe that they act as the ultimate deterrent against an aggressor. But what if this deterrence fails and we do come under attack from an enemy’s nuclear weapons? Theresa May, said in the House of Commons that she would be prepared to “push the nuclear button” in these circumstances. Suppose that we come under a nuclear attack and millions of us here in Britain are likely to be killed or seriously injured. How does it help our planet if we send our nuclear weapons to kill even more people in other countries? This is, at best, a return to the Old Testament principle of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” Surely we, in the supposedly civilised world, have moved on and come to realise that only good can triumph over evil and love over fear and hatred.

William F Wallace,

11 Cherry Tree Park, Balerno, Midlothian.