THE LIBERAL Democrats have been criticised for taking risks with the United Kingdom’s future security for political gain after one of the party’s ministers said that a decision on replacing the United Kingdom’s Trident nuclear deterrent, which the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats fundamentally disagree upon, should be delayed until just after the next election in 2015 to wrong-foot the Labour Party.
In the final day of the party’s Liverpool conference, delegates called for a full investigation into alternatives available to Trident. Conservative defence secretary Dr Liam Fox favours the like-for-like replacement of the four Scottish-based nuclear submarines, although even he has begun to favour delaying a decision for as long as possible, given the increasing pressure on the British government’s spending plans.
A delay would be of “no great significance”, said Liberal Democrat armed forces minister Nick Harvey. “If it were to be delayed until just after the May 2015 election, it is of no great financial significance, it is of no great military significance, it is of no great industrial significance. But believe me, it is of profound political significance. Conservatives know that they are not going to be able to look to the Liberal Democrats to get that through parliament, so the issue will be a hot potato for Labour,” Mr Harvey said.
Even under Mr Harvey’s favoured course, billions would still be spent over the next few years on design work, but the decision on the placing of contracts would be deferred until after May 2015, leaving open the possibility, it seems, that Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs could then combine to vote down replacing Trident with a submarine-based deterrent, rather than a cheaper alternative, such as a ship-based cruise missile-type weapon, or none at all.
Former Liberal minister Baroness Shirley Williams criticised Mr Fox’s support for a Trident replacement. “We’ve moved on from the Cold War and we should think a bit more about what we want to do in the world. Mr Fox, have you noticed that the American people did elect a new president and that Mr Bush is no longer the president of the United States?” she asked, to applause.
“Would it not be ludicrous if the UK moved in the direction of like-for-like replacement to last for the next 40 years, locking our children and grandchildren into the position?” she asked.
Labour MP John Woodcock, who represents the Yorkshire constituency of Barrow and Furness, where the submarines needed to carry a Trident replacement would be built, said: “New Lib Dem defence minister Nick Harvey is brazenly admitting to playing politics with Britain’s national security – that is the height of irresponsibility from the new government.”
