Although the final decision to renew the UK’s nuclear deterrent is not due to be taken until 2016, during the next Parliament, it was during the previous Parliament that the lengthy process of authorising and establishing the process of renewal was initiated.
This briefing by Rt Hon Sir Malcolm Rifkind was written in order to stimulate discussion within the Conservative Party and outline the likely parameters of the debate ahead of the 2015 election, with close consideration to the factors of cost, security, and public opinion.
This briefing was commissioned by WMD Awareness and the British American Security Information Council. This briefing reflects the views of the author, not those of WMD Awareness or BASIC.