Memo to PM

Parliamentary Event: A Memo to the next Prime Minster on the Nuclear Question

The issue of the replacement of Trident is already receiving more attention due to speculation about the general election result and it will, anyway, be an issue demanding attention early on in the new government in the context of continuing budgetary pressures and ongoing international strategic priorities. This briefing will lay out the range of options regarding the decision currently scheduled for 2016 for any follow-on nuclear weapon system for the UK including:

  • Going ahead with like-for-like renewal of the submarine fleet in 2016

The sustainability of the P5 process and expectations for London

The United Kingdom will play host this week to the United States, France, China and Russia for a meeting of the “P5 Process”. This is the last meeting of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) nuclear weapon states (NWS) prior to the NPT Review Conference this April. These states have been meeting for five years and the pressure is on to demonstrate concrete evidence that a multilateral approach can achieve some progress in meeting disarmament obligations. But is the “P5 Process” sustainable, and if so, what should we realistically expect from the London meeting?