Dundee LibDems support full nuclear weapons debate (Dundee Liberal Democrats)

Dundee Liberal Democrats <info@dundeelibdems.org.uk>

Dundee LibDems support full nuclear weapons debate

July 1, 2006 12:17 PM

Dundee Liberal Democrats have today (Saturday 1st July) given their support to Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey MP, who has called for a national debate on the issue of replacement of trident.

Mr Harvey said, "We are rushing headlong into a decision on nuclear weapons which should be considered over a much longer timescale."

The Commons defence committee agrees. Their latest report says, "The public debate must now begin in earnest. There needs to be a "genuine and meaningful" public debate on whether the UK should keep its nuclear weapons. The Committee's MPs say the arsenal "could serve no useful or practical purpose" in defeating international terrorism. This is "the most pressing threat currently facing the UK."

Dundee LibDem local party secretary Michael Charlton said, "The Commons Defence Committee said the Ministry of Defence must justify the retention of weapons after hearing no evidence of an impending military threat from other countries. It also said that the government should also clarify whether it believed the nuclear deterrent was important to Britain's 'international influence and status'.

"Nick Harvey is right to call for a national debate on this vital issue. Gordon Brown's support for maintaining Britain as a nuclear power without a proper national debate is highly concerning."

Background:

Britain has four nuclear-powered submarines, each of which can carry up to 16 Trident II D5 missiles. Every missile can hold 12 nuclear warheads and one of the submarines is always at sea at any time. The four Trident missile submarines are expected to end their operational life sometime in the mid 2020s and the 48 warheads have a similar operational time-frame.