IF heterosexual people who want the benefits of marriage without the name “marriage” succeed in being allowed to enter civil partnerships “Couple lose legal battle to be civil partners”, The Herald, February 22, and Letters, February 23), could attention be turned to a comparable problem?

Being old, I get what is called the “state pension”. However, the word “state” is redolent of totalitarian East European tyrannies grinding the individual into the dust. These associations are distressing to me, just as the fact that once upon a time married women were legally subordinate to their husbands is distressing to some people considering marriage today. I should like the Government to protect me from these associations of the word “state” in my mind by setting up a similar system of payments under a different name, say, “Community Seniority Award”. Of course, I want the same amount of money with the same frequency. It’s just that the name must be different so that my mental associations don’t arise.

Paul Brownsey,

19 Larchfield Road, Bearsden.