Reports | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

The Trident Dispatches No. 6: Reaction to the vote

Rebecca Johnson — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 07:09:45 -0600

After Prime Minister Tony Blair relied on Conservative leader David Cameron to force through the white paper on renewing Trident, MPs from several parties joined protesters outside the Houses of Parliament and vowed to continue the campaign to persuade the government to implement its treaty obligations and eliminate Britain's nuclear arsenal. In rallies in Edinburgh and London, they made clear that this was a long-term security issue, and it would have to be won by long-term, persistent campaigning.

The Trident Dispatches No. 5: Voting day

Rebecca Johnson — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:56:02 -0600

On March 9, later than expected, the British government published the motion that it wants the House of Commons to vote on March 14: "This House supports the government's decision as set out in the white paper, 'The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent' (CM6994), to take the steps necessary to maintain the U.K. minimum strategic nuclear deterrent beyond the life of the existing system and to take further steps towards meeting the U.K.'s disarmament responsibilities under Article VI of the [Nuclear] Non-Proliferation Treaty."

The Trident Dispatches No. 4: The run-up to the vote

Rebecca Johnson — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 14:57:04 -0700

On February 23, Greenpeace made waves when it joined Faslane 365 and blockaded the entrance to the Trident submarine base at Faslane, Scotland, with seven boats, including its climate-change research ship, Arctic Sunrise.

The Trident Dispatches No. 3: Tony Blair's forgetfulness

Rebecca Johnson — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 14:57:59 -0700

Two years ago, in an almost simultaneous policy turnaround, British Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed his determination to develop both a further generation of nuclear weapons and a host of new nuclear power plants--ideally before he left office. Though he made his personal preference (a staunch yes) clear in both cases, he and his government promised open debate and consultations that would involve "the wider public."

The Trident Dispatches No. 2: Protests and presentations

Rebecca Johnson — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:57:09 -0700

British Secretary for Defence Des Browne is a man on a mission. In recent weeks, he's participated in some carefully choreographed meetings in London on Trident replacement, followed by a general debate on defense in the House of Commons and an appearance before the Parliamentary Defence Select Committee.

The Trident Dispatches No. 1: An overview of the debate

Rebecca Johnson — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 23:00:00 -0700

Does Britain need to replace its nuclear weapons? The current system, which comprises four nuclear submarines, around 50 U.S. Trident D5 ballistic missiles, and up to 200 warheads similar to the U.S. W76 (around 100 kilotons each), is good to go until well into the 2020s. So why is British Prime Minister Tony Blair so keen for a decision before he departs office?