Scotland and Trident


Jim Murphy is one of the Labour party's big hitters allegedly - though this Scottish MP prefers the Westminster Parliament to Holyrood.

Jim Murphy has gained a reputation as a straight talker - which I think is probably fair

For example, Jim acknowledges the need for Labour to face up to certain realities - such as cutting £5 billion or so from UK defence spending - in these straitened economic times.

So while Labour's defence spokesperson may not agree with the coalition government on exactly where the spending axe should fall - he is at one with the coalition government on the fact that that budget cuts have to be made - in the first place.

What puzzles me though is Labour's attitude to replacing the Trident missile system - also known as the UK's independent nuclear deterrent.

Which is likely to cost the country tens of billions of pounds in the years ahead - the exact figure keeps on rising - like most defence estimates.

Yet the great majority of Scottish Labour MPs and MSPs oppose Trident - I would say.

In fact a whole rash of MPs felt obliged to come out and say so - in the run up to the 2010 general election - if I remember correctly.

The reason being that the MPs knew Labour's support for replacing Trident is hugely unpopular in Scotland - so distancing themselves from official party policy seemed like a good idea at the time.

But the arguments for Britain having its own independent nuclear deterrent are poor indeed - and not just on the grounds of cost - which are enormous of course.

Putting money aside for the moment - the only European countries with nuclear weapons are Britain and France.

No one else feels the need to protect themselves with weapons of mass destruction - yet we take sanctions against rogue countries like Iran which say - me too!

But our near neighbours - Spain, Italy and Germany - all seem able to get by without wasting billions on a nuclear delivery system.

So why should the UK - or Scotland - be any different especially in these tough economic times?

I hope we will hear more from Jim Murphy on this subject in the months ahead - because we could certainly do with some clarity on where his party stands - in the run up to the Scotland's referendum in 2014. 

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