It wasn’t quite a throwback to the Cold War era of rowdy Commons debates and campaigners chained to the gates of Greenham Common. But last week’s rebellion over the UK’s nuclear arsenal was still sizeable. It also drew a major parallel with the past: ministers, officials and the public have little idea how much the controversial nuclear deterrent will cost.
Dreadnought latest news
The Dreadnought submarines are planned to replace the current fleet of Vanguard submarines in the early 2030s. They will carry nuclear-armed Trident missiles and be powered by a PWR3 nuclear reactor.
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Trident Costs – Public Finance News
Public Finance understands that the 87-strong Labour rebellion could have been bigger had the spin around costs been better assessed. Following a debate that led one minister to resign and 15 former ministers – including ex-home secretary Charles Clarke – to reject Blair’s policy, one senior rebel said: ‘Several floating voters in the Labour camp considered opposing the project but concluded that a £20bn top-end cost wasn’t significant for a 30-year deterrent.’ Well, how does £91bn sound?
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Trident renewal, Commons Vote on 16th March 2007
It wasn’t quite a throwback to the Cold War era of rowdy Commons debates and campaigners chained to the gates of Greenham Common. But last week’s rebellion over the UK’s nuclear arsenal was still sizeable. It also drew a major parallel with the past: ministers, officials and the public have little idea how much the controversial nuclear deterrent will cost.
[Also, according to a 2005 MORI poll this decision does not have public support]
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Hansard on AWE January – March 2007
8 Jan 2007 : Column 99W, Nuclear Submarines
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many warheads in the stockpile of operationally available warheads will be dismantled as a result of the reductions in the stockpile announced in the White Paper CM6994; and if he will make a statement. [108792]
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Hansard on Trident January – March 2007
25.01.07 – 06.03.07, Hansard – Written Answers to Questions, 22 Jan 2007 : Column 1555W Trident
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which year he expects that the Trident nuclear capability would, if not upgraded, become obsolete. [116808] -
Trident replacement questions
Simple questions to ask those supporting nuclear weapons,
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White Paper Answers
White Paper on the Replacement of Trident 4 December 2007, Answers to Questions posed in the Foreword to the White Paper.
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No Replacement Trident Early Day Motion
New EDM on Trident consultation, rapidly gaining signatures, currently 52 sigs: Lab 35, LibDem 9, Tory 2, others 6 on 12th Jan 2007
EDM 579 CONSULTATION ON TRIDENT
Trickett, Jon (09.01.2007)
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Hansard on Trident, Submarines and Waste, January 2007
8 Jan 2007 : Column 111W Trident, Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his estimate is of the time it would take to procure further Trident D5 missiles. [108974]
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Keeping nuclear weapons or tackling climate change?
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The Fourth Report of the Defence Select Committee of the House of Commons on The Future of the Strategic Nuclear Deterrent
Read the NIS submission in the full report. From introduction: “In its White Paper on the future of the UK's nuclear deterrent, the Government recommends the retention and renewal of the submarine-based Trident weapons system. This will require the procurement of a new generation of nuclear-powered Trident submarines to replace the existing, but ageing, fleet of Vanguard-class SSBNs.”
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Press Release on Trident Replacement White Paper
Press Release, 1700 hrs 04/12/06, Government White Paper on Trident Replacement
Misleading Statement
The PM uses the term 'deterrence' and 'nuclear weapons' interchangeably, suggesting that they have the same meaning. But this is misleading. Nuclear ‘deterrence’ was a 1980’s doctrine that had many elements including survival exercises to ‘prove’ we could endure a nuclear war and bunkers for national and local authorities.