nuclear-news

A nuclear free Scotland would make England pay up for Trident submarine base

The nuclear issue is the one that concerns ministers most; where would the new Trident submarines be based, if not at Faslane on the Clyde?

SNP’s defence policies are ‘laughable’, says Philip Hammond, Nick Hopkins, guardian.co.uk,   19 January 2012 Defence secretary wades into the debate over devolution as the likely effects – and costs – of Scottish independence rattle the MoD.… The new defence secretary, Philip Hammond, is pretty choosy about the media he does, and on what subjects. Today, he went on the record over devolution, and the effects it might have on defence.

No wonder he was prepared to speak, and in such unusually fruity language for a man not known for rhetorical flourish.

He knows the ramifications for the military, and the Treasury, are enormous.  The key themes for the SNP are easy enough to spell out – Scotlandwould not be a member of Nato and would be nuclear free. It would retain its army regiments, though the scale of any airforce or navy has yet to be detailed.

But at the MoD, these ideas are regarded as devilishly complex, and worse than that – horrendously expensive.

The nuclear issue is the one that concerns ministers most; where would the new Trident submarines be based, if not at Faslane on the Clyde?

The cost of equipping English ports would be astronomical – in short, the future of the Trident fleet post 2017 has been predicated on the idea the boats will be in Scotland…..

Today, Angus Robertson, the SNP’s defence spokesperson, made clear the subs would have to go elsewhere, and that the Scottish government wouldn’t help foot the bill for their relocation either. Speaking on theWorld at One, he said..

“Why should we? If London really cared so much about nuclear weapons systems perhaps they would have considered public opinion in Scotland decades ago. They didn’t and now they are asking themselves what are they going to do with it…I have to say, they might find it difficult to find locations in England, but perhaps they should have thought about that before foisting it on the people of Scotland years ago.”……

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jan/19/trident-devolution-defence-snp-nuclear-weapons?newsfeed=true

January 20, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, UK