Nuclear dangers

Incident after incident has highlighted the dangerous problems with Britain’s nuclear weapons system. Reported issues include increasingly long patrols by the submarines leading to food shortages on board, embarrassing test failures, rusting boats, and radiation leaks. It is no wonder than that a government watchdog has consistently raised concerns.

Britain’s programme to replace its ageing Trident nuclear submarines has been rated ‘red’ for the third year running. The red rating – the lowest rating there is – translates to the watchdog believing the project is “unachievable”. Other elements of the nuclear weapons programme was rated amber, meaning significant problems exist. For example, the Atomic Weapons Establishment facility in Aldermaston, where the nuclear warheads are produced, is seven years behind schedule and predicted to cost double its original estimate.  

Britain’s nuclear weapons programme is a total disaster. CND does not believe that the government can justify spending billions of pounds on an immoral, outdated and ineffective nuclear weapons system. Given the repeated failures of Trident, it’s time the government cut its losses and scrapped the next generation of its weapons of mass destruction.