If Scotland votes yes for independence this week, the chances of the UK having to disarm its nuclear arsenal rise dramatically–and the global non-proliferation regime needs just such a shot in the arm. But even a close no vote should be cause for reassessment over the future of Trident.
UK Nuclear Weapons Policy and Diplomacy
A Yes vote in Scotland could finish Trident
This article was written by Paul Ingram and was published in the Ecologist.
We need to talk…about nukes: Scotland edition
Is it possible to create a world free from nuclear weapons? What role can you and the rest of Scotland play in making it happen? BASIC and WMD Awareness teamed up with the Edinburgh University People & Planet Group to discuss.
Would Scotland’s nationalists disarm Trident?
The renewal of the “independent British nuclear deterrent” has met remarkably little debate in the UK. Except in Scotland, that is. This week the leader of the Scottish National party and first minister in Edinburgh, Alex Salmond, went head-to-head with Alistair Darling, the Labour leader of the ‘Better Together’ campaign, for a second live debate over next month’s referendum on Scottish independence.
Would Scotland’s nationalists disarm Trident?
The renewal of the “independent British nuclear deterrent” has met remarkably little debate in the UK. Except in Scotland, that is. This week the leader of the Scottish National party and first minister in Edinburgh, Alex Salmond, went head-to-head with Alistair Darling, the Labour leader of the ‘Better Together’ campaign, for a second live debate over next month’s referendum on Scottish independence.
The U.K. Is Fine With Its Fleet of Nuclear Subs, Thank You Very Much
On 1 July 2014 Elaine Grossman covers the launch of the Trident Commission's concluding report in this article for Defense One. In it, she quotes BASIC's executive director Paul Ingram as saying: “In the end, it comes down to a calculation which involves the value of nuclear weapons in national security strategy against the contributions of strengthening global nonproliferation norms…Britain does have a leadership role which it cannot wash its hands of.
A vote for Scotland’s independence could reverberate through NATO
Research Fellow at the National Defence University, Leo Michel, wrote an op-ed for the LA Times ahead of the Scottish referendum on independence and the implications on the future of the British nuclear forces and NATO. Michel cites the Trident Commission in his article.
Read the full article here: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0725-michel-scotland-independence-nuclear-fo-20140725-story.html
Beyond the Trident Commission Report
The Trident Commission report on Britain’s nuclear weapons policy aims to distill core national security arguments and challenge vague pro-renewal stances. Public and political engagement remain minimal despite the crucial timing and evolving global threats. The Commission debates Britain’s independent nuclear deterrence and its role in NATO, ultimately questioning the alignment of current policies with global disarmament goals.