Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced an additional £400 million of funding for the Dreadnought programme. This comes after £960 million worth of contracts were announced in May to ramp up the current phase of construction for the UK’s four nuclear-armed Dreadnought submarines.
Sara Medi Jones, CND acting General Secretary, said: "Trident is bankrupting the Ministry of Defence. This extra £400 million for Trident adds to a growing body of evidence that replacement of Britain's nuclear weapons system is running over budget.
"A National Audit Office report earlier in the year suggested a £6 billion black hole in the MoD budget, and last month's report indicates a £7 billion to £15 billion black hole over the next 10 years.
“Business as usual cannot be an option – the consequences for other defence sectors and wider public spending are just too serious. In writing blank cheques for Trident replacement – ring-fencing an amorphous budget no matter what the impact on other areas of spending – it is bankrupting the MoD and putting the security of Britain at risk.
“MoD spending is out of control and the government must be called to account for its irresponsible spending. The £205 billion Trident replacement scheme must be scrapped. The money should be spent instead on addressing the real security threats we face, like terrorism, climate change and cyber warfare.”
* Read the announcement from the Ministry of Defence here
* Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament https://cnduk.org/
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