today

13 March 2007: Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, said: "It is the job of Government to strike a balance between working towards a safer world and protecting the security of the UK and its citizens... We cannot rule out the possibility that at some point in the 50 years Britain could face a new nuclear threat." Speaking on the BBC’s Politics Show, Mr Browne identified Iran and North Korea as examples of countries against which new deterrents were needed.

IMO that is only two of the many more countries that will stick their heads over the nuclear parapet before 2050, particularly with the desperation many will find because of (avoidable) global warming.

Greenpeace said additional costs could push the figure to over £100 billion, adding that spending the same amount on tackling climate change could reduce the UK's carbon emissions by more than 12 per cent.

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, said it was "incredible" that the Government was even considering spending so much money on a new generation of nuclear weapons. "The great challenge of the 21st century will be to prevent catastrophic climate change and it is on this that Britain should be giving a clear lead."

Major General Patrick Cordingley, who commanded the Desert Rats in the first Gulf war, said the money which would be "wasted" on Trident would be better spent on conventional equipment for the Armed Forces as well as on peacekeeping efforts.

The govt already seem to have wasted a lot of money on NHS "reform", some say as much as £12 billion. How much of this new £100 billion is going down the drain as well. Remember the ordinary ashtrays, privys etc., obtained by NASA at enormous costs, so long ago details were hard to find on google.

IMO: Corruption happens but it should not be encouraged by undue secrecy,