The influential think-tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) today published a report on the UK’s defence policy, which has made several recommendations which the Liberal Democrats have been calling for in recent years, particularly with regard to Trident. The report, Shared Responsibilities: A National Security Strategy for the United Kingdom, has recommended that the Government commission a Strategic Defence Review, which the Liberal Democrats have been pressing Government for many years on.

On Trident, the report recommended that the future of the UK’s nuclear deterrent should be considered in a Strategic Security Review that should be carried out by the Government. In the interim, the government should allow for maximum flexibility in its policy in order to be able to carry out the Strategic Security Review’s recommendations. Flexibility would be facilitated by extending the life of the Vanguard submarine hulls so that the Strategic Security Review is able to implement all options, including recommendations which do not involve Trident. This, in turn, would demonstrate the UK’s commitment to an eventual nuclear-free world, which would eventually mean relinquishing our own nuclear deterrent.

Given the importance of states working together towards the eventual abolition of nuclear weapons, this would be an important confidence-building measure for the international community, including North Korea and Iran. Furthermore, the report urges the UK to strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and push members of the NPT to sign the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Additional Protocol and for this to be mandatory by the 2010 NPT Conference. Given the dangers of nuclear proliferation and terrorism, this should be a priority for the UK.

The overarching theme of the report is based on the premise that the rise of globalisation – in which many of our national and regional issues are globally interconnected – is something we have to embrace in our security and defence policy. The report urges the UK not only to maintain our commitment to NATO and the US, but also to encourage greater defence cooperation with European countries to complement.

The report raises many important issues for the UK’s national security and makes many apt recomendations, the question is whether the Government will listen to these? Will the Government finally commission a Strategic Defence Review to look into the options regarding our nuclear deterrent?

Following reports of a collision between British and French nuclear submarines armed with warheads, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey said:

“While the British nuclear fleet has a good safety record, if there were ever to be a bang it would be a mighty big one.

“The public entrust this equipment to the Government confident that all possible precautions are being taken. Read more »

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 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 »

Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey is to write to Des Browne demanding clarification over contradictory statements made by the MoD regarding the replacement of Britain’s nuclear warheads.

This follows the release of papers under Freedom of Information laws which reveal that one of the MoD’s top civil servants told defence industry figures the decision on replacement had already been taken, despite Des Browne’s public claims to the contrary.

Nick Harvey said:

“We need to know why one of the most senior MoD officials can make such a clear statement behind closed doors while ministers say otherwise in public. Read more »