Just what is Lib Dem defence policy?
Ming seems to have blundered into an elephant trap, in that he has signed a 'no Trident renewal' letter along with the usual laundry list of bien pensant 'liberals' and members of the extreme left, which posits, inter alia, "The urgent need is both to halt the spread of nuclear weapons to new countries, and for all states which possess them to move more rapidly and substantially towards nuclear disarmament. "More here.
The latest LD policy discussion paper suggests the following:
4. In the light of such circumstances it would be unwise for Britain to abandon its nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, in the current situation Britain no longer needs the size of
deterrent that the present Trident system represents.
5. The current Trident nuclear weapons system should be retained and its operational life extended for as long as is cost effective.
6. Britain should now reduce its nuclear arsenal by approximately 50%, retaining no more than 100 operational warheads, with each Trident submarine carrying no more than 24 warheads when on deterrence patrol.
It could be argued that the two positions are not necessarily antithetical, but it would all too easy to paint Ming in the same shades as Labour in the 80s.
Odder still is the Wee Eck of the SNP has signed it too - surely the Socialist Republic of Scotland will be digging itself into the ground long before any money is spent on renewal......
The latest LD policy discussion paper suggests the following:
4. In the light of such circumstances it would be unwise for Britain to abandon its nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, in the current situation Britain no longer needs the size of
deterrent that the present Trident system represents.
5. The current Trident nuclear weapons system should be retained and its operational life extended for as long as is cost effective.
6. Britain should now reduce its nuclear arsenal by approximately 50%, retaining no more than 100 operational warheads, with each Trident submarine carrying no more than 24 warheads when on deterrence patrol.
It could be argued that the two positions are not necessarily antithetical, but it would all too easy to paint Ming in the same shades as Labour in the 80s.
Odder still is the Wee Eck of the SNP has signed it too - surely the Socialist Republic of Scotland will be digging itself into the ground long before any money is spent on renewal......
Labels: Lib Dems
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on Thursday, February 15, 2007 at 10:18 am.
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FFS, lib Dem defence policy lies in the realm of the ultra hypothetical. Why do they bother having a policy at all? I suppose its because they are fighters not quitters.
Funnily enough IT the way I see lib dem thinking is that it chiefly lies in the academic and rarified world of foreign policy. The Guardian has notably more foreign news as proportion than the DT and Lib Dum Coucilors are always sounding off about the nasty Jews usually .
I put this down to the general bullshit reflex . Its hard to do that here relatively speaking as the results tend to pile up and stink. You can adopt a childish set of attitudes towards "The World" indefinitely.
I think I may go and tease Norfolk gay man with this though
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