DAVID Pratt’s articles on the Yemeni crisis refer to the Saudi-led coalition attacking the port of Hodeidah (“Fears mass starvation will tear troubled Yemen further apart”, The Herald, June 16)

Aid agencies have said access to this port is vital to enable provision of desperately needed supplies for millions facing starvation. The UK is providing financial support. Meanwhile, wearing its other hat, it is selling arms to Saudi Arabia. These are used to worsen the problem. The United States, France and the UK also vetoed a UN Security Council motion to condemn the attack on Hodeidah and try mediation. Andrew Mitchell, former International Development Secretary, said Britain should be neutral in the conflict and not supply Saudi Arabia with weapons, earning £4.6 billion over four years for arms dealers.

I fear Glaswegians can do little to help but we can try to prevent an arms fair marketing “Undersea Defence Technology” in the city. We can speak to councillors, some of whom have promoted the event, and MSPs and protest against the fair. Is the British economy so unbelievably weak that we can only flourish as arms dealers? Have we become inured to the horrors mankind can inflict on the innocent? As long as our pensions are doing well, do we wonder how?

Sandra Phelps,

10 Kelvin Drive, Glasgow.

IN the Agenda column “Shaping the thinking of the economists of the future”, June 18, economists at Dundee University suggest they are keen to learn about the key influences in global finance. Adam Smith is said to have introduced the concept of political economy 200 years ago but things have moved on since then with global money flows. National politics and its relationship with the global market doesn’t receive much attention these days.

But on your Letters Pages (June 18) we also see objections to Glasgow City Council’s decision to hold an arms trade, “regardless of the financial benefits”. Politics-geopolitics in finance can be dangerous territory to explore.

Ian Jenkins,

7 Spruce Avenue, Hamilton.