Liberal Democrats vote for fewer Trident nuclear submarines
Major victory for leadership as party conference backs its plan to reduce number of nuclear submarines from four to three
Liberal Democrats have voted to reduce rather than scrap Britain’s Trident nuclear submarines, in another major victory for Nick Clegg.
They backed the leadership’s plan for just three new submarines, rather than the current four, after senior party figures argued it would be reckless to get rid of them all in one go.
Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, led the argument for a partial replacement of the multibillion-pound Trident programme, saying it would be a “credible and deliverable” first step towards nuclear disarmament.
His remarks suggest the Lib Dems are hoping to have their plan implemented in a future coalition, although David Cameron has made it clear the Conservatives would not accept such a compromise.
The motion made the bold claim that scrapping one of the four submarines would amount to “the greatest single act of de-escalation ever undertaken by one of the established nuclear powers”.
It faced a challenge from George Potter, a Lib Dem activist, who tabled an amendment calling for the party to “eliminate entirely the UK’s nuclear deterrent as soon as practicable”.
Several speakers supported this bid for swift disarmament, including Paul Coleshill, leader of the Lib Dems in Glasgow, who compared Trident to a sports car inherited by a middle-aged man “of failing prowess”.
However, the amendment was defeated by 322 votes to 228, after a number of senior party figures lined up to claim the leadership motion represented a highly significant reduction of Britain’s nuclear weapons.
Sir Nick Harvey, a former defence minister, said there was no longer any need to “continue to sail the high seas waving weapons of mass destruction at no one in particular”, when they could be sent out at a few days’ notice.
Reducing the number of submarines from four to three would be a “clear precursor” to further disarmament and allow Britain to “beat a path to the nuclear exit door”, Harvey said.
He described it as both an “an entirely practical proposition” and the “boldest and most radical suggestion to come from any of the [major] nuclear powers”.
Simon Hughes, the party’s deputy leader, also spoke in support of a gradual reduction in Britain’s nuclear weapons, urging members not to vote to get rid of them “all in one go”.
Lady Garden of Frognal, a Lib Dem whip and defence spokesman in the Lords, said the motion was the only “roadmap for disarmament”.
“It will strengthen our credibility in international disarmament talks,” she said.
