Press Release

NEW REPORT: Trident in UK Politics and Public Opinion

BASIC releases today a new report examining Trident in UK politics and public opinion on nuclear weapons, involving a comprehensive review of the polls over the last eight years and including two new polls released today. This comes on the eve of the publication of the government’s Trident Alternatives Report (TAR), to be published on Tuesday and debated in Parliament on Wednesday. The BASIC report is intended to complement the TAR with the political and public opinion context.

Commentary on the UK Trident Alternatives Review

The government published its Trident Alternatives Review earlier today. This short briefing gives an immediate response. BASIC will later this year be publishing the results of the Trident Commission, considering the broader issues that form the context of the decision.

Today’s technical government review has highly political roots in the desire by Liberal Democrats to ask two key (strategic, political) questions:

Obama’s Brandenburg Speech, 19 June 2013

BASIC staff and consultants are available for comment on President Obama’s speech today at the Brandenburg Gate, 2pm London time, in which he is expected to lay out his agenda on strategic nuclear deterrence, disarmament and arms control for the rest of his Presidency.

Roundtable on Nuclear Non-Proliferation in the Gulf: Istanbul, 25-26 March 2013

BASIC is hosting its second annual meeting on nuclear non-proliferation in the Gulf this coming Monday and Tuesday. There will be a number of experts and officials attending from the region.

BASIC’s Executive Director, Paul Ingram, says: “States around the Gulf face daunting security challenges, and it is crucial they communicate clearly and unambiguously their intention to seek strong international regimes that prevent nuclear proliferation and strengthen regional security. This can only happen through open and honest dialogue.”

Former UK Diplomat To Head Up BASIC Team in Washington

BASIC is pleased to announce that Rebecca Cousins, former British diplomat, will be leading BASIC’s Washington team as Program Director, working with policy-shapers of diverse perspectives to achieve greater consensus on realistic measures that strengthen nuclear non-proliferation and secure moves towards global nuclear disarmament.

Media Release: BASIC Trident Commission Paper on UK-France nuclear cooperation: Yes we can, but…

Deeper nuclear cooperation between the UK and France is possible but constrained by a number of factors, including the close relationship between the UK and US, and could lock the two nuclear futures together and prevent unilateral steps towards disarmament, according to a new expert report by French researcher Dr Bruno Tertrais for the BASIC Trident Commission.