Mon 4 Dec 2006

Today the Government published a White Paper on the renewal of Trident.

David Starkey's guests are Frances Cairncross, Bob Crow and Danny Finkelstein.

Despite a split Cabinet and Party, the Prime Minister is recommending building a new generation of nuclear-powered submarines to carry Trident nuclear missiles, and any successor missiles, at a potential cost of £20 billion. The Tories have vowed to support the legislation through Parliament, and the Liberal Democrats want to defer the decision until 2014.

But are nuclear weapons any use in the post-Cold War world, where terror cells and individuals are the biggest threat to our security? Or is a nuclear deterrent increasingly necessary in a world where 3 states have developed nuclear weapons outside of the NPT, and rogue states are following close behind? Could £20bn be spent better elsewhere?

Viewers' comments

From Dan Tinsley
I once read that Regan and Gorbachev spoke in Reykjavik with great wisdom of banning nuclear weapons? In the same vain I always watch your programme and take great delight in the scope of discussion but as far as nuclear weapons are concerned why like every other discussion does no one seem to talk of now of banning them. Surely is this not the best way to stop this truly M.A.D race including that of Iran?

From Jim Evans
Caircross and Finklestein are part of the same American dominated global Middle Class that has destroyed democracy in Britain and replaced it with Blairs puppet regime which is fast-forwarding Trident replacement before Brown gets cold feet. Cosy up to them at your peril.