UK must have independent nuclear deterrent, says major parliamentary report

The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, a parliamentary committee tasked with monitoring the government's security strategy, published a new report late last week. The committee warned that the country should prepare for scenarios in which the country's historical close relationship with the US would no longer apply. Its report noted that Britain still has strategic dependencies on the United States for core capabilities in nuclear, intelligence and conventional defence. Britain should plan to move away from a bilateral relationship with the United States that is so dependent on America for nuclear and intelligence operations, the report argued in a major intervention, arguing for an independent UK nuclear deterrent. It called on the government to develop a clear plan, along with other European allies, for a transition towards greater European leadership of Nato - including in a worst-case scenario where Europe does not have US backing in a crisis. Members of the committee include the chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Emily Thornberry, as well as other Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative MPs - alongside several peers from different parties. Although Britain has operational control of its nuclear arsenal, it depends on the US to supply and maintain the Trident missiles that could deliver British-built warheads. Shift in UK-US relationship The new report comes amid significant changes in the UK's relationship with the US, with relations having deteriorated dramatically in the past month over the US-Israeli war on Iran. A former senior British official told Middle East Eye that one of the biggest reasons for the Conservative government's foreign policy approach in late 2023 and 2024 - including refusing to impose an arms embargo on Israel over its war on Gaza, and opposing the International Criminal Court's investigation into suspected Israeli war crimes - was a determination to strongly back US foreign policy. This changed under Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government, which over the past year and a half has shown more willingness to diverge from the American approach, even imposing a partial arms embargo on Israel and recognising Palestinian statehood. Nato 'cannot confirm' Iran behind attack on UK-US base after Iranian denial Read More » Labour did, however, continue to share intelligence with Israel from surveillance flights over Gaza. Then, when the US-Israeli attack on Iran began last month, Britain initially refused to allow the Americans to use the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to launch strikes on Iran. But within two days, Britain changed its position. Starmer announced the US could use British military bases for bombers en route to targeting Iranian missile sites, insisting this was a purely defensive measure. Two weeks later Starmer did another u-turn, announcing Britain would allow the US to use British bases to launch strikes on Iranian sites to help protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Despite these moves, which support the US war effort, President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked Starmer, even suggesting that the so-called special relationship between the two countries was on the rocks. Call for independent nuclear deterrent The new report was written before the current conflict began. It said: In addition to working to shore up European Nato's capabilities, the UK should plan to move away from a bilateral relationship with the United States that is so dependent on the latter for nuclear and intelligence operations, and conventional defence. The report also said: Preparing for a 'worst-case scenario' whereby Europe can no longer rely on US support in the event of a crisis, the Government must work with European partners to invest in its own capabilities to offset this potential withdrawal. It added that a credible, sustainable and independent UK nuclear deterrent is integral to UK national security, and as a buffer against allied proliferation in an era of fast-changing nuclear risks. The report urged more credible funding arrangements to boost national resilience, more robust plans to develop sovereign capabilities and deeper engagement with industry on developing the domestic defence industrial base. Global and UK security is poorly served by the increasing tensions brought about by great power competition between the United States and China. If this process continues to accelerate, the economic shock costs of military confrontation will go down, making conflict more likely, it said. 'Multilateral dialogues with other middle powers' Significantly, the report acknowledged that Britain's global influence is less than it once was. The UK must be prepared to take on more of the cost for its and Europe's security through investing in partnerships and multilateral dialogues with other 'middle powers', for example Canada, Australia and India, to avoid being squeezed by great power competition between the United States and China, it said. Top UK official judged Iran 'posed no nuclear threat' just before war began Read More » The report added that in the long term, Britain should seek to ease the increasing tensions of great power competition between the United States and China, and the global diplomatic and economic decoupling this is resulting in. This comes just weeks after the Liberal Democrats called on the government to build a fully independent British nuclear deterrent to end reliance on the US. Sir Ed Davey, the party's leader, said on 15 March: When we've got presidents in the White House like Donald Trump, totally unreliable, I don't think we can have our nuclear deterrent dependent on the mood at breakfast of the person in the Oval Office. Meanwhile, the US continues to use British bases to launch attacks on Iran. There are currently 23 long-range US bombers at the RAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire, which has become crucial to the US's attempt to destroy Iranian military capabilities. UK Politics News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0