This collection of background papers is published on the same day as the final report from the Commission and can be read alongside it. They are not representative of the views of the Commission but rather of the authors that submitted them. They have fed into the Commission’s deliberations and have been affected by them.
- The first paper, by Paul Ingram of BASIC and based extensively upon an original longer paper written by Ian Kearns for the Commission, charts the diverse and complex set of threats that face the UK, placing the decision on the renewal of the Trident system in the broader context and its relevance to emerging threats.
- The second paper, also by Paul Ingram, looks at the issue of nuclear deterrence and some of the challenges associated with it.
- The third paper by Paul Ingram looks at the budgetary aspects of the Trident renewal project. Using figures within the public domain, it charts the year-by-year spend and some of its implications.
- The fourth paper by Dr. Ian Davis is about threshold status, not an option likely to receive much support in the near future, but nevertheless an inevitable later step if currently nuclear-armed states were to take the road towards full nuclear disarmament.
- The fifth paper, written by Matt Cavanagh in his personal capacity two years ago for the Commission, surveys alternative platforms and delivery systems for a British nuclear deterrent. It complements the official Trident Alternatives Review published by the government a year ago.
Read the background briefing papers in full here:
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