UK Nuclear Weapons Policy and Diplomacy

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.

Give us genuine nuclear choices

Paul Ingram was featured in the Letters section of the Evening Standard as he called for political leaders in the UK to consider genuine steps down the nuclear ladder after the release of the government's Trident Alternatives Review on July 16th.

Read the article by clicking the PDF link below.

It’s crunch time on Trident for Miliband and his party

Nick Ritchie's op-ed in the Guardian highlights the political decisions that need to be made following the release of the government's Trident Alternatives Review. Ritchie refers to his recent co-authored report with Paul Ingram, 'Trident in UK Politics and Public Opinion'.

Read the op-ed on the Guardian's website:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/17/crunch-trident-miliband-labour-statesmanship

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:

U.K. Finds ‘Credible’ Alternatives to Submarine Nukes Won’t Come Cheap

Elaine Grossman interviews BASIC's Paul Ingram and Rebecca Cousins for this article about the findings of the UK government's Trident Alternatives Review and the implications for the nuclear debate in Britain.

Read the full article on the Global Security Newswire:

http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/uk-finds-credible-alternatives-submarine-nukes-wont-come-cheap/

Defence chiefs back Trident replacement as LibDems declare coalition dividing line

The Herald Scotland highlights the political divide over the government's Trident Alternatives Review. The article references BASIC's report, 'Trident in UK Politics and Public Opinion'.

Read the full article on the Herald Scotland's website:

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/defence-chiefs-back-trident-replacement-as-libdems-declare-coalition-dividing-line.1373955077