Trident

[PickleB]

The other day I heard a Lib-Dem spokesperson saying that they proposed to have 2 Trident-replacement submarines (rather than 4) as the UK's nuclear deterrent. So I looked this up on their web-site: link. Apart from the fact that they can't get the trefoil the right way up, it says "we propose to replace some of the submarines instead. They would not be on constant patrol but could be deployed if the threat from a nuclear-armed country increased."

Sorry, that doesn't work. The point of the deterrent is that it's always available and present. Two submarines isn't a viable program, to build or operate. I firmly believe that we're currently running the minimum option and a reduction would be worse than not having the deterrent.

Whether or not the UK should have a nuclear deterrent...now that's another matter.

[DS3R]

Which is why both the main parties (at least one of whom will probably form the bulk of the next government) have committed to 4 boats. A part-time deterrent is a nonsense, proposed by people who know nothing of the logisitics of maintenance and of course, manning...

But hey, with an SNP-LibDem-Green alliance in the offing too, we may not have it at all!

[Cirrus]

We should be increasing the number of boats to increase the number we have at sea at any one time. Reducing the number is madness - if you accept in the first place that we need a nuclear deterrent at all.

[Bluetorric]

I wonder what these parties did at school, did they not learn anything from history.
In the 20s and 30s, the military was run down in Britain after the war to end all wars.
And of course WW2 happened and we were ill prepared with no credible deterrent.....

[markrlondon]

I wonder what these parties did at school, did they not learn anything from history.
In the 20s and 30s, the military was run down in Britain after the war to end all wars.

They think (to the extent that they consider it critically at all) that history will not repeat itself. Of course, it never does repeat itself exactly but trends do, sadly, repeat.

Air Commodore Andrew Lambert said this:

The modern generation of politicians has grown up in absolute security – they’ve never felt a threat to their existence, safety or security.

They’ve taken peace for granted and decimated the Armed Forces. Let’s hope we don’t pay the price.

The only thing I'd add to that is that it is as true for the population at large as it is for the politicians.

It should be the job of politicians to learn from history even where it is unpopular with the electorate but none of them are brave enough to do any such thing.

[Huertecilla]

A part-time deterrent is a nonsense, proposed by people who know nothing of the logisitics of maintenance and of course, manning...

Any such crap makes only sense for the established top layer.
For the working layers it makes no difference whom they are supporting.

I´d rather have my son does not get killed in ány army serving some rulers and their territory to exploit, whoever they are and however the territory is called.

Just lóók; RollsRoyce cars are German now anyway ...

Oh and whatever ´they´ will decide do so the tax payer´s money keeps flowing their direction, it will involve sourcing from the cheapest bidders in China. That dreaded commie China, those who need be deterred. Dûh.

[andrew]

I wonder what these parties did at school, did they not learn anything from history.

I suspect it was predominantly "how evil it was to be British", "our national shame", stuff like that.