UK Parliament approves Trident’s renewal

The British Parliament has voted to approve Prime Minister Tony Blair's controversial plans to renew the country's nuclear arsenal. Around $US 40 BLN will be spent replacing the existing deterrent, the Trident nuclear submarine fleet.

Britain’s nuclear deterrent is due to go out of service in 2024.  With an arsenal estimated at fewer than 200 warheads, it is the lowest of any of the permanent UN Security Council members.

Prime Minister Tony Blair insists the world is too unstable to drop nuclear weapons.

However, critics, who have staged high-profile protests, say an atomic arsenal is useless against the main threat to world stability – terrorism. In addition, the huge cost means other areas of the armed services will suffer.