Trident

Some years ago I studied International Relations at University. I begun my studies at the end of the Cold War in Aberystwyth, where one could still study Strategic Studies and doctrines of nuclear warfare. It was an interesting time because while some of our lecturers clung to old ways of thinking about the peril of Communism and the Red Army, there were others who realised that the end of the Cold War brought a very real change in the landscape of International Politics.

The recent discussions on the replacement for Trident sadly demonstrate that not everyone has yet come to terms with new security challenges. Gordon Brown's incomprehensible compromise of maintaining a 'deterrent', but at a level where it is unlikely to be operational round the clock seems to be the worse of both worlds - sadly a feat he manages all too often.

I was never convinced of the case for British nuclear weapons, but in the current security situation - with a whole range of new challenges for the armed forces, different types of wars to be fought, very different enemies; surely the priority must be to ensure fit for purpose forces for the 21st century - rather than cling to strategic 'solutions' to security situations long past. Now is undoubtedly the time to take tough decisions and prioritise effectively armed forces spending - in my view that means not renewing trident and investing instead, where appropriate, in fit for purpose armed forces.