SIR – At General Election time, it is right that many issues should be debated and discussed openly by the candidates wishing to be elected, so the voters can make a fully informed choice.

One issue that must not be overlooked is the question of whether Britain should replace its nuclear weapons, as those elected to be MPs at this election will be asked to vote in Parliament in 2016 on this very matter. Polls have revealed a large majority of the public are NOT in favour of retaining nuclear weapons.

The world has certainly moved on and today it is agreed that the main security threats to Britain that we actually face are terrorism, cyber-attacks and climate change. Investing £100 billion in nuclear weapons diverts money away from addressing these very real priorities.

Also, there are many experienced military and political figures who confirm that nuclear weapons are of no strategic use.

This issue is one that must ‘see the light of day’ during this campaign, with those who favour replacement explaining their reasoning and those opposed given opportunities to argue the opposite case. The voting public must also have their say on this vitally important matter.

David Hornsby, West View Avenue, Wrose