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Tories Accuse Labour of Preparing to Abandon Britain's Nuclear Weapons

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Conservative Party's defence secretary, Michael Fallon, will launch a strong attack on Labour leader Ed Miliband, accusing him of preparing to abandon Britain's nuclear weapons as the price of securing power in a post-election coalition with the Scottish National Party. The Tories will claim that Miliband's willingness to negotiate with the SNP could put Britain's nuclear arsenal at risk, based at Faslane and Coulport in Argyll. Fallon will also warn that a Labour government, with the SNP's support, would abandon the renewal of Trident, the UK's nuclear deterrent.

Key Takeaways:

  • Michael Fallon, the Conservative defence secretary, will accuse Ed Miliband of preparing to abandon Britain's nuclear weapons as the price of securing power in a post-election coalition with the SNP.
  • Fallon will claim that Miliband's willingness to negotiate with the SNP could put Britain's nuclear arsenal at risk, and that the Labour leader would bow to the SNP's "childlike worldview".
  • Labour has ruled out a coalition with the SNP but has declined to rule out a more informal arrangement.
  • The SNP has pledged to scrap nuclear weapons, and the Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has indicated that scrapping Trident could be a red line in any coalition negotiations.
  • Labour has said it is committed to maintaining a minimum, credible, independent nuclear deterrent, delivered through a continuous-at-sea deterrent.
  • The Tory attack on Miliband's nuclear policy comes as Labour secured a two-point lead over the Conservatives in a YouGov/Sun poll, by 35% to 33%.

Statistics:

  • 59: The number of seats in Scotland.
  • 40: The number of seats the SNP could win, according to opinion polls.
  • £25bn: The estimated costs of replacing Trident.
  • 2016: The year when the "maingate" decision on replacing Trident is expected to be taken in the Commons.
  • 35%: The percentage of voters who support Labour, according to the YouGov/Sun poll.
  • 33%: The percentage of voters who support the Conservatives, according to the YouGov/Sun poll.

Sources:

  • Byline: Nicholas Watt, Chief political correspondent, The Guardian
  • The Guardian
  • ConservativeHome website
  • Times
  • YouGov/Sun poll
  • Channel 4/Sky News Q&A
  • Guardian interview with Nicola Sturgeon
  • BBC Scottish leaders' debate on Wednesday night

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