This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/sep/05/trident-review-concerns-cabinet-reshuffle
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Trident review concerns voiced after Nick Harvey loses MoD job in reshuffle | Trident review concerns voiced after Nick Harvey loses MoD job in reshuffle |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The future of the government's review on alternatives to the Trident nuclear missile system is in doubt after Liberal Democrat Nick Harvey was stripped of his defence minister post in the reshuffle, according to MPs and campaigning groups. | The future of the government's review on alternatives to the Trident nuclear missile system is in doubt after Liberal Democrat Nick Harvey was stripped of his defence minister post in the reshuffle, according to MPs and campaigning groups. |
| Harvey, as the armed forces minister, was responsible for monitoring the progress of a report on possible replacements for the existing fleet of Trident submarines, part of the 2010 coalition agreement. "When you have got a review at the request of the Lib Dems, who the hell is going to manage that from now on?" said Tessa Munt, the Lib Dem MP for Wells. | Harvey, as the armed forces minister, was responsible for monitoring the progress of a report on possible replacements for the existing fleet of Trident submarines, part of the 2010 coalition agreement. "When you have got a review at the request of the Lib Dems, who the hell is going to manage that from now on?" said Tessa Munt, the Lib Dem MP for Wells. |
| David Laws, the Lib Dem MP for Yeovil, has been brought back into government as a junior education and Cabinet Office minister, and officially given the task of overseeing the Trident review. | David Laws, the Lib Dem MP for Yeovil, has been brought back into government as a junior education and Cabinet Office minister, and officially given the task of overseeing the Trident review. |
| However, there is now no Lib Dem presence in the Ministry of Defence and the view in Whitehall is that the Lib Dem leadership does not think it can fight Conservative support for a new Trident system, or at least wants to concentrate its energies elsewhere. | However, there is now no Lib Dem presence in the Ministry of Defence and the view in Whitehall is that the Lib Dem leadership does not think it can fight Conservative support for a new Trident system, or at least wants to concentrate its energies elsewhere. |
| Harvey said on Tuesday night: "Nick Clegg made it clear that the decision was not a reflection on my performance in the job, which he said was widely regarded as having been excellent, but rather a strategic political decision to 'trade' this post for one in another government department." | Harvey said on Tuesday night: "Nick Clegg made it clear that the decision was not a reflection on my performance in the job, which he said was widely regarded as having been excellent, but rather a strategic political decision to 'trade' this post for one in another government department." |
| Trident is not on the agenda of the Lib Dem conference in Brighton later this month. | Trident is not on the agenda of the Lib Dem conference in Brighton later this month. |
| The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) expressed dismay at the decision to remove Harvey from his post. The group's general secretary, Kate Hudson, said: "This is a blow to all those inside and outside the Liberal Democrats who want Trident to be reviewed. Even though they have not opposed nuclear weapons outright, they, and Nick Harvey in particular, forced the Tories to conduct a Trident alternatives review and he pushed the review forward. Now this lone dissenting voice has been purged from the MoD." | The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) expressed dismay at the decision to remove Harvey from his post. The group's general secretary, Kate Hudson, said: "This is a blow to all those inside and outside the Liberal Democrats who want Trident to be reviewed. Even though they have not opposed nuclear weapons outright, they, and Nick Harvey in particular, forced the Tories to conduct a Trident alternatives review and he pushed the review forward. Now this lone dissenting voice has been purged from the MoD." |
| In Scotland, the SNP has called for clarification over the status of the Trident alternatives review, which was due to report by the end of the year. | In Scotland, the SNP has called for clarification over the status of the Trident alternatives review, which was due to report by the end of the year. |
| Angus Robertson, the SNP's Westminster leader and defence spokesman, said: "We need clarification from the Lib Dem leadership – have they abandoned the promise they made in the coalition agreement and capitulated to the Tories on Trident? | Angus Robertson, the SNP's Westminster leader and defence spokesman, said: "We need clarification from the Lib Dem leadership – have they abandoned the promise they made in the coalition agreement and capitulated to the Tories on Trident? |
| "Trident is not wanted in Scotland, and never has been – yet the UK government are proposing to waste £100bn dumping another generation of Trident nuclear weapons on the river Clyde". | "Trident is not wanted in Scotland, and never has been – yet the UK government are proposing to waste £100bn dumping another generation of Trident nuclear weapons on the river Clyde". |
| He added: "The vast majority of MSPs, as well as the churches, trade unions, and civic society across the nation totally oppose Trident nuclear weapons being based in Scotland. A key advantage of independence is that it is the only constitutional option which gives Scotland the powers to have Trident removed from Scottish waters." | He added: "The vast majority of MSPs, as well as the churches, trade unions, and civic society across the nation totally oppose Trident nuclear weapons being based in Scotland. A key advantage of independence is that it is the only constitutional option which gives Scotland the powers to have Trident removed from Scottish waters." |
| Scrapping the Trident nuclear missile system would save £83.5bn and many of the jobs at risk could be transferred to other defence projects, according to a recent report by Prof Keith Hartley, a leading defence economist. | Scrapping the Trident nuclear missile system would save £83.5bn and many of the jobs at risk could be transferred to other defence projects, according to a recent report by Prof Keith Hartley, a leading defence economist. |
| The government has already agreed to spend £5bn on a new Trident system, most of it on a new submarine design, according to the MoD. Some of the money has gone on research at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston into the capability of a new warhead. | The government has already agreed to spend £5bn on a new Trident system, most of it on a new submarine design, according to the MoD. Some of the money has gone on research at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston into the capability of a new warhead. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |