Write a commentFollowing on-going government debate over renewing Trident nuclear weaponry local Councillor Kevin McAteer has called for the scrapping of the programme.
The Councillor who is also a member of the campaign for nuclear disarmament has stated that the money used on trident could help those whose benefits are set to be cut due to welfare reform and more importantly the money could be used to aid our public services which are also under threat.
Speaking on the issue CouncillorMcAteer stated “Trident has always been a controversial issue. The government has put the cost of Trident at around £31 billion. 1-2 billion from the Trident programme would go a long way to resolving some of the issues that we face today in the north of Ireland. Essentially the money spent on Trident could be put to good use elsewhere such as our NHS and public services which are set to face hard times with impending austerity.”
Trident itself is an operational system of four Vanguard-class submarines armed with Trident II D-5 ballistic missiles, able to deliver thermonuclear warheads from multiple independently-targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs). It is the most expensive and the most powerful capability of the British military forces. Recently Jeffery Donaldson of the DUP pitched the idea that Northern Ireland could become a home for Trident if Scotland decided to abolish it.
“It’s very disappointing to see that in times of austerity there is always money available for war and defence. I don’t understand how the British government can cut welfare in the north of Ireland and then on the other hand they can propose to upgrade trident at such a large cost. Furthermore I am shocked to hear the DUP imply that the north of Ireland could possibly be a home for trident in the future…”
