First duty is defence

IT is a sign of the times when the leader of a political party lusting after independence forgets that her first duty as a politician is the defence of the realm (“Sturgeon: Ukraine war will not stop us ditching Trident”, The Herald, May 2, and Letters, May 3).

Perhaps she has forgotten Ernest Bevin, when Labour Foreign Secretary, pleading with his “Ban The Bomb” Cabinet colleagues not to send him into the international debating forum naked.

Perhaps she has forgotten that in the past Ukraine had access to nuclear weapons and was persuaded to give them up in exchange for guarantees. Does she really think that if Ukraine still had that access, that Putin would have dared his open aggression and subsequent invasion of Ukraine’s sovereign territory?

Of course it is unthinkable to our eyes that any one would be so misguided as to use such weapons. If in the event that Russia feels the need to use tactical nuclear weapons, what is her response? Perhaps the advice of President Teddy Roosevelt might be helpful: “Speak softly but carry a big stick.”

R Johnston, Newton Mearns.