NATO stance casts SNP as hypocrites

Sir, – A decision by the SNP to endorse membership of NATO while at the same time rejecting Trident would be immoral and hypocritical. NATO is an alliance that relies on a conditional threat to use weapons of mass destruction.

While not all NATO members have weapons of mass destruction based in their countries, all members are signed up to nuclear weapons being used on their behalf. In principle, membership carries with it an acceptance of the morality of using weapons of mass destruction. Further, NATO has never even promised not to initiate the use of nuclear weapons.

All those countries that have signed up to the nonproliferation treaties, including the United Kingdom, have promised to work towards nuclear disarmament. The signatories have recognised how disastrous a nuclear war would be. Innocents and non-combatants would be indiscriminately killed and wounded, the environmental damage and a nuclear winter would add thousands of millions more casualties – and Scotland would cease to exist.

The catechism of the Roman Catholic church summarises widely-held Christian belief when it states that: “Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and man, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation.”

Membership of NATO would also erode the possibility of a principled objection to Trident on moral grounds.

Advocacy of Scottish membership of an alliance such as NATO, which is prepared to use weapons of mass destruction, makes it much more difficult for Scotland, credibly and with integrity, to oppose such weapons and to work towards nuclear disarmament. Rev. David Mumford StAndrew’s Rectory, Castle Street, Brechin.