Wednesday 27 February 2013

Trident - Oh Ed, not you too ?

It has been announced, leaked, hinted, suggested, confirmed, take your pick that the Labour Party will go into the next General elections supporting a like for like replacement of the Trident Nuclear Submarines and Missiles.

£25 billion is the cost - although of course estimates of the 'true' cost vary.

It is a reminder hopefully for those who view the Labour Party with rose-tinted spectacles (are their any left ? yes a few) that in many respects they remain incredibly similar to the Conservatives, worse really, because undoubtedly most conservatives MPs think Trident is useful, whereas most Labour MPs one hopes know it to be a white elephant but are still haunted by the electoral crushing they got from supporting unilateral nuclear disarmament in the 1980's so they go along with supporting it.

It will be interesting as welfare cuts bite to wonder who will spot the connection between saving money on benefits so the Government can spend money on Trident.   Just a reminder, the Government is currently spending over £2 billion pounds a week more than it gets in in taxes. It can only do this by borrowing money.  So the money to pay for Trident will be borrowed, making it doubly wasteful.

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