http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11321861
A replacement for Trident could cost £20bn and delaying the decision could save billions in the short-term at a time when the Coalition Government are considering how they're going to fill the £155bn financial void that Labour bequeathed the nation.
There is also of course, a political dimension as well as a financial one to such a possible decision. The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats disagree on the very question of renewing Trident. It was one of the issues of disagreement that was not resolved in the coalition document.
We happen to be 2 days away from the Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool where will there no doubt, be a number of murmerings against Government policy. Suddenly, there may be some political room for manouevere between the two parties if the decision is put back for the next government to take.
Members such as myself who do not agree with renewing Trident, will go to Liverpool with the hope that these rumours are well founded.
One of the cornerstones of my support for Plaid Cymru is their belief that nuclear weapons, of any description. have no place on these islands. UK could wield more influence by an act of unilateral disarmament, rather than than maintaining this immoral folly of a deterrent. Would you also share this view, or is your stance a more specific issue regarding Trident as a specific type of weapon?
ReplyDeleteIn an ideal world, I'm an unilateralist. But this isn't an ideal world and I've got a pretty practical regard to nuclear weapons in the whole.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Trident, it's an out-of-date, Cold Ward weapon which has no place in 21st century security matters.