POLL SHOWS TIDE HAS TURNED ON TRIDENT RENEWAL

A new poll which shows the majority of people across the UK oppose replacing the Trident nuclear weapons system has been welcomed by the SNP. The ICM poll today (Tuesday) adds to growing opposition to the renewal of Trident.

The SNP has consistently opposed the presence of nuclear weapons on Scotland 's shores and has condemned UK Government plans to replace Trident. The Scottish Parliament, a majority of Scottish MPs and the Scottish Government are all opposed to current plans to replace Trident with new nuclear weapons.

Trident renewal must not be excluded from the Strategic Defence Review and further spending on the project should be ruled out pending the planned assessment of defence needs and the 30-nation nuclear non-proliferation summit scheduled in Washington next March.

SNP Westminster leader and Defence spokesperson Angus Robertson MP said:

“The tide has turned on Trident, and Gordon Brown is going to have to accept that the renewal of this nuclear system is untenable.

“Any way you look at it - on moral, economic or political grounds - time is up for Trident.

“People 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.

“Ministers have announced a strategic defence review, and it is not credible to exclude a debate on the Trident replacement programme from that audit. It is totally untenable for Gordon Brown to exclude Trident from the Strategic Defence Review as some sacred cow.

“In the last week we have seen an agreement on nuclear disarmament between the United State and Russia and the announcement of a non-proliferation summit next March. For all these reasons the Prime Minister must rule out further decisions and spending commitments on the renewal of Trident due to be signed off by Ministers in the coming months.

“Civil society, trade unions, religious organisations 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 this poll shows that the tide has well and truly turned.”