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British Govt under fire over nuclear warheads


AM - Monday, 12 March , 2007  08:20:13

Reporter: Jane Hutcheon

TONY EASTLEY: The British Government is bracing itself for a parliamentary rebellion over its decision to renew its frontline nuclear deterrent.

Three months ago, British Prime Minister Tony Blair outlined a plan to spend almost $50-billion on a new generation of submarines which would carry the Trident nuclear warheads.

Now, a ministerial aide has threatened resignation and as many as 100 MPs could vote this week to defer the decision until there has been a detailed public debate about the threat Britain faces.

From London, Europe Correspondent Jane Hutcheon reports.

JANE HUTCHEON: The current Trident system, which reaches the end of its life in 2024, involves four submarines capable of firing ballistic missiles.

In December, Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair outlined plans to spend up to $50-billion on a new generation of subs, which would take approximately 17-years to build and develop.

TONY BLAIR: It would be unwise and dangerous for Britain, alone of any of the nuclear powers, to give up its independent nuclear deterrent.

JANE HUTCHEON: But with the nuclear issue due to be debated in Parliament this week, Jim Devine, a private secretary to the Health Minister has indicated he plans to resign over the issue. Many from the left of the Party are also unhappy.

A BBC survey of more than 100 MPs found that more than 60 per cent were opposed to renewing the system.

Michael Meacher is one of Labour's longest-serving MPs, first elected 37 years ago.

MICHAEL MEACHER: I think there will be a very substantial rebellion on the Labour benches, which I think may possibly be comparable to that which occurred over the Iraq War.

Clearly, not just on the left of the Party, but across the whole of the Party, there are deep reservations.

JANE HUTCHEON: In a letter to the Times newspaper last week, former Soviet president, Mikhail Gorbachev, criticised what he called the British Government's astonishing intention to replace its ageing nuclear deterrent, saying it would be in contradiction to the spirit of the agreements that helped to end the Cold War.

But overnight, Defence Secretary Des Browne said Britain had an obligation to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) to retain a deterrent.

DES BROWNE: We have an obligation to maintain our nuclear weapons, as do the French and the Americans, and to provide the security for these countries that don't have nuclear weapons so that they can continue to occupy the position which they signed up to in the non-proliferation treaty as non-nuclear weapons states.

It's not nearly as straightforward as people suggest. They sleep well in their beds at night because we have nuclear weapons.

TONY EASTLEY: Britain's Defence Secretary, Des Browne.