I READ George Fergusson's Agenda piece ("Ireland’s lessons for indy Scotland’s defence", The Herald, July 11) with great interest; as a distinguished former senior diplomat his insights into the potential issues facing a future independent Scotland are both valuable and timely. The observations he makes regarding Irish neutrality, Sweden, Finland, Nato and Ukraine cannot be disputed.

I note that Mr Fergusson was at one time High Commissioner to New Zealand, some years after that country politely informed the United States that its "neither confirm nor deny" nuclear weapons policy would preclude US ship visits. And yes, the US did impose sanctions. I will always remember PM David Lange's response to a British journalist who asked him what he thought of the angry comments of Caspar Weinberger (Ronald Reagan's Secretary of Defense): "At least he knows where we are on the map now."

I was lucky enough to meet Mr Lange and his wife at a conference in India in 1992 and told them that I not only admired his assured media performances but that in our own small way to help counteract the sanctions my friends and I had been buying Anchor butter for years! His wife told me something very interesting however – the fact that rather than ignoring New Zealand's actions Weinberger had, by his public denunciation, succeeded in uniting all of New Zealand society, the Church, the National Party, the All Blacks behind the Lange government.

Mr Fergusson is right to express concern over a potential US reaction to an independent Scotland adopting such a position – wouldn't it be wonderful if he and other retired diplomats of Scottish heritage could get together and begin to pave the way for us to do so, unlocking their many contacts and utilising their vast experience to Scotland's future benefit?

In closing I would just point out that whilst support for independence hovers around the 48-50% mark, higher than that for the SNP Government, Scottish opposition to Trident has consistently been well above that.

There is no evidence whatsoever that possession of nuclear weapons has prevented or even mitigated any of the numerous wars we have been involved in since the Second World War, including the current one in Ukraine. Yet we keep "upgrading", ie vertically proliferating, whilst telling other countries they can't have them.

But I'll leave the last word to David Lange: "There's only one thing worse than being incinerated by your enemies and that's being incinerated by your friends."

Marjorie Ellis Thompson, Chair, British CND 1990-93, Edinburgh.

• WE in the West continue to supply and provide Ukraine with all sorts of military ordnance and to train its soldiers and airmen in the dark art of war.

I wonder who pays for it – is it a gift in pursuance of a noble cause or does Ukraine buy it on account, like a credit card which will have to be repaid at some point in time?

Are the American corporates standing in the wings waiting to be “invited” in to rebuild the country as they did in Iraq/Afghanistan and thus reap vast reward at the expense of the Ukrainians?

Keith Swinley, Ayr.

Read more: Ireland's lessons for indy Scotland's defence

Why are our judges so lenient?

IN 2021, Jason Graham was sentenced to just 19 years for invading a pensioner's house in Glasgow, theft, beating her up, raping and murdering her. He was drunk and drugged, and had 23 prior convictions, one for rape for which he was jailed for only five years. He could be released at age 49. The judge said he was "at a high risk of reoffending".

In May this year in Aberdeen, Rhys Bennett was sentenced to just 24 years for attempting to defeat the ends of justice, stalking and abduction, neck compression, violent assault and several instances of GBH, then rape and murder caused by these actions and by burning his victim to death while she was still alive. He could be released at age 47, the age of his victim. The judge called his crimes "extreme, sustained, feral violence, unimaginably wicked and medieval in their barbarity".

In England the arsonist Jamie Barrow has just been given a life sentence with a minimum term of 44 years for arson by pouring petrol through a family's letter box and murdering a young mother and her two daughters ("Courts merciless in sentences for feud killer and callous arsonist", The Herald, July 8).

Also in England the drug dealer Thomas Cashman, who shot dead a nine-year old girl was given life with a minimum of 42 years; and Connor Chapman, who killed a teenage girl in a rampage with a sub-machine gun, was given life with a minimum of 48 years. Both sentences are fully justified albeit neither victim was deliberately targeted.

Why is the Scottish judicial system so relatively lenient?

John Birkett, St Andrews.

Double standards on Davidson post

THE appointment of Ruth Davidson as a non-executive board member of Scottish Rugby (Letters, July 12) has generated much comment and criticism, mainly from those of a nationalist persuasion.

It may have escaped my notice at the time but did the appointment of the former SNP MSP and minister, Aileen Campbell, as Chief Executive Officer of Scottish Women’s Football generate the same level of disapproval?

I am sceptical of the levels of skill either of them achieved in their respective sports but their appointments give me confidence that my ambition to become the next Chief Executive of the R&A could still be fulfilled.

James Quinn, Lanark.

Use LEZ cash for night buses

OVER the last week you have been reporting on the cessation of night buses in Glasgow ("Calls to nationalise buses in row over axing night service", The Herald, July 11, and Letters, July 12) and the number of drivers fined for entering the Low Emission Zone ("Paying the penalty: Over 2,900 drivers fall foul of Glasgow’s new LEZ zone", The Herald, July 8).

Glasgow City Council is keen to force motorists who cannot afford to upgrade their car out of the city centre. However they are not prepared to support the natural alternative of using the bus. Surely the night buses can be subsidised using the revenue generated from the enforcement of the LEZ? When I lived in England the evening buses were subsidised by the county council.

Richard Wiggins, Prestwick.

McCorduroy hang-ups

R RUSSELL Smith's tale (Letters, July 12) of his great-aunt who insisted on calling The Broons The Browns led my meandering mind to memories of the 1940s BBC Home Service programme The McFlannels, based on Glasgow tenement life.

A regular visitor was Mrs McCorduroy, known for her pan-loaf accent and bad grammar: "If I had of knew, I nivver would of came".

David Miller, Milngavie.