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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Plan for dismantling Britain's nuclear arsenal | Plan for dismantling Britain's nuclear arsenal |
| (4 months later) | |
| All 120 armed warheads on Britain's fleet of Trident submarines could be removed within a month in a staged dismantling of the country's nuclear weapons system. | All 120 armed warheads on Britain's fleet of Trident submarines could be removed within a month in a staged dismantling of the country's nuclear weapons system. |
| It would take just two years to remove Britain's entire stockpile of nuclear weapon from the Clyde, and four years to dismantle the entire stockpile of less than 225 warheads. | It would take just two years to remove Britain's entire stockpile of nuclear weapon from the Clyde, and four years to dismantle the entire stockpile of less than 225 warheads. |
| This is the timetable set out in what the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) calls "a practical guide to de-activating and dismantling the Trident nuclear weapon system". | This is the timetable set out in what the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) calls "a practical guide to de-activating and dismantling the Trident nuclear weapon system". |
| It says: "Recent years have seen the consensus in Westminster crumble, with defence analysts recognising both the crippling on conventional defence spending of retaining and replacing Trident, and the strategic redundancy of nuclear weapons". | It says: "Recent years have seen the consensus in Westminster crumble, with defence analysts recognising both the crippling on conventional defence spending of retaining and replacing Trident, and the strategic redundancy of nuclear weapons". |
| The defence budget remains under intense pressure despite belt-tightening measures imposed by defence secretary Philip Hammond (measures which should be welcomed, apart, that is, from his plan to hive off more tasks to the private sector, about which he seems to have second thoughts after the G4S Olympics debacle). | The defence budget remains under intense pressure despite belt-tightening measures imposed by defence secretary Philip Hammond (measures which should be welcomed, apart, that is, from his plan to hive off more tasks to the private sector, about which he seems to have second thoughts after the G4S Olympics debacle). |
| The sacking of LibDem Nick Harvey from his post as armed forces minister has been widely interpreted as meaning that Nick Clegg has given up all hope of influencing defence policy or decided that the LibDems would be even more unpopular by opposing Trident. | The sacking of LibDem Nick Harvey from his post as armed forces minister has been widely interpreted as meaning that Nick Clegg has given up all hope of influencing defence policy or decided that the LibDems would be even more unpopular by opposing Trident. |
| Certainly Harvey was angry about being sacked (despite being awarded a knighthood by Cameron). The job of monitoring the "alternatives to Trident" study that was part of the 2010 coalition deal and is due to be completed by the end of the year, is now in the hands of Danny Alexaner. | Certainly Harvey was angry about being sacked (despite being awarded a knighthood by Cameron). The job of monitoring the "alternatives to Trident" study that was part of the 2010 coalition deal and is due to be completed by the end of the year, is now in the hands of Danny Alexaner. |
| As Chief Secretary to the Treasury, he should take a robust approach. We will see. | As Chief Secretary to the Treasury, he should take a robust approach. We will see. |
| The Tories and most Ministry of Defence officials say that Trident will be replaced. Their strongest argument seems to be that any alternatives, notably placing nuke warheads on smaller cruise missiles, would be just as expensive but less effective. | The Tories and most Ministry of Defence officials say that Trident will be replaced. Their strongest argument seems to be that any alternatives, notably placing nuke warheads on smaller cruise missiles, would be just as expensive but less effective. |
| It all depends on what an "effective" deterrent means now. One alternative being suggested is a "virtual" deterrent whereby Britain would keep its nuclear weapons capability but not the weapons themselves - the art, but not the article, as Churchill put it after the second world war. | It all depends on what an "effective" deterrent means now. One alternative being suggested is a "virtual" deterrent whereby Britain would keep its nuclear weapons capability but not the weapons themselves - the art, but not the article, as Churchill put it after the second world war. |
| The CND report spells out eight phases, from ending the operational deployment of submarines to dismantling all of the UK's nuclear warheads. | The CND report spells out eight phases, from ending the operational deployment of submarines to dismantling all of the UK's nuclear warheads. |
| The government's 2012 strategic defence and security review said the UK's overall warhead stockpile would be reduced from 225 to 180, while the operational stockpile would be reduced from 160 to 120. The number of missiles on each submarine would be reduced from 12 to 8. | The government's 2012 strategic defence and security review said the UK's overall warhead stockpile would be reduced from 225 to 180, while the operational stockpile would be reduced from 160 to 120. The number of missiles on each submarine would be reduced from 12 to 8. |
| One Trident submarine remains on patrol at all times - "continuous at sea deterrence", as it is called - and each submarine carries eight missiles, each of which can have up to five warheads – 40 in total. | One Trident submarine remains on patrol at all times - "continuous at sea deterrence", as it is called - and each submarine carries eight missiles, each of which can have up to five warheads – 40 in total. |
| The political and Whitehall establishment - the "permanent government" - has woken up to what Scottish independence might mean for the future of Trident since Britain's only nuclear missile submarine base is on the Clyde. Thinktanks and parliamentary committees have been drawing up reports about the prospect. | The political and Whitehall establishment - the "permanent government" - has woken up to what Scottish independence might mean for the future of Trident since Britain's only nuclear missile submarine base is on the Clyde. Thinktanks and parliamentary committees have been drawing up reports about the prospect. |
| Instead of worrying about something unlikely to happen soon, they could do better to investigate the more immediate and tangible problem of what to do about Britain's nuclear weapons. | Instead of worrying about something unlikely to happen soon, they could do better to investigate the more immediate and tangible problem of what to do about Britain's nuclear weapons. |
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