PM BRANDED INCONSISTENT ON NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION

The Prime Minister has been branded inconsistent on nuclear non-proliferation after publishing a written statement today (Thursday) on countering proliferation and reducing weapons arsenals while simultaneously preparing to sign-off £2bn in design contracts for Trident replacement in September.

SNP Westminster leader and Defence spokesperson Angus Robertson MP urged Gordon Brown to rule-out imminent commitments on the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system expected to be signed-off during the parliamentary recess.

Mr Robertson said:

“Gordon Brown is totally inconsistent on nuclear arms limitation – he is lecturing the world on non-proliferation while simultaneously planning to pay a two billion deposit on Trident.

“The Prime Minister has even excluded Trident from the Strategic Defence Review as some sacred cow – it is just not credible to exclude a debate on Trident replacement from either that audit or wider international talks on disarmament.

“Any way you look at it - on moral, economic or political grounds - renewal of this nuclear system is untenable.

“Lord Mandelson has admitted Labour plan a decade of public spending cuts, and people will struggle to understand, at a time when budgets are tight across the armed forces and Scotland faces a £500 million budget cut from London , why the UK Government is ploughing billions of pounds into a new generation of unwanted and unnecessary nuclear weapons.

“As we go into the parliamentary recess the Prime Minister must rule out further decisions and spending commitments on the renewal of Trident due to be signed off in the coming months.

“Civil society, trade unions, religious organisations and the Scottish Government are working together to keep a new generation of Trident missiles out of our waters – even military leaders openly question the affordability and rationale of these weapons, and as recent polling shows, the tide has well and truly turned on Trident.”