Responding to today’s speech on nuclear weapons by David Miliband, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary, Edward Davey said:

“The Government’s premature and provocative decision to renew Trident in the run up to the global disarmament conference next year has greatly undermined Britain’s leadership on non-proliferation issues.

“Britain is in danger of playing catch-up to the Obama administration, which has already performed a massive policy U-turn on Bush’s attitude to disarmament and missile defence. Read more »

Commenting on reports that Russia is responding positively to President Obama’s more sceptical line on the Bush plan for a Son of Star Wars Missile Defence system in Europe, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary, Edward Davey said:

“If Russia has genuinely decided to reverse its threat to station missiles in Kaliningrad, this is a welcome first victory for President Obama’s more diplomatic approach to Russia. Read more »

Commenting on today’s NAO report on the future of the UK’s nuclear deterrent, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey said:

“At a time when the defence budget is critically overstretched, we need assurances from the Government that the country will not be saddled with elastic costs for the future nuclear deterrent. Read more »

The Liberal Democrats today called for the Government to deny America the use of British bases for a unilateral ballistic missile defence system.

The party’s Spring Conference also condemned the way the Government’s decision to allow the US to use RAF Menwith Hill for the system was announced on the last day of a parliamentary session in an attempt to avoid publc scrutiny.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey said:

“Despite Tony Blair’s pledge that there would be a parliamentary debate on the son of star wars system, this crucial decision was smuggled out in a written statement at a time designed to get the minimum possible coverage. Read more »

Responding to today’s news that the Foreign Office has signed the Wellington Declaration, paving the way for a prohibition on the use of cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey, said:

“Though any steps to limit the use of cluster munitions must be welcomed, we need a real commitment to banning all so-called ‘smart’ as well as ‘dumb’ cluster munitions. Read more »