Letter: First strike

Professor Gerard DeGroot ("What cost Britain's illusion of grandeur?" 7 October) suggests that the UK's independent nuclear deterrent is more about preserving its seat on the United Nations Security Council rather than defence of the country.

Before the looming Strategic Defence Review, it is paramount that the Prime Minister issues an affidavit stating that our Trident nuclear capability is truly independent. That is: the UK possesses all the necessary keys to launch the missiles and there are no protocols in place that requires the UK to obtain permission from the US before launch.

Without such a statement our "independent" capability could only be used when the US was threatened, making our "independent" capability little more than a "first strike" option for the US. In which case it would make economic sense to scrap our nuclear capability and rely on the Nato/US capability.

MICHAEL N CROSBY

Muiravonside

By Linlithgow, West Lothian