The Truth About Trident: Disarming the Nuclear Argument

The issue of Trident is too important to be left to politicians and generals. It needs to be discussed in the pub, at the school gates and over the kitchen sink so that people are aware of the issues involved and have had the opportunity to think them through. - TIMMON MILNE WALLIS

How much will the renewal of Trident actually cost?
What would be the impact of not renewing or replacing Trident?
Have nuclear weapons kept us safe since the end of World War II?
Is Trident legal under International Law?

Renewal of the Trident programme would extend Britain’s commitment to nuclear ‘deterrence’ well into the second half of this century, despite treaty obligations and an ‘unequivocal undertaking’ to disarm. The estimates of the cost of renewal or replacement of Trident range from £100 to £200 billion (ie £100 to £200,000,000,000).

With more than 16,000 nuclear weapons stockpiled worldwide, the risk of one going off by accident or design is increasing every day. Timmon Milne Wallis explores the arguments for retaining Trident with a critical eye, cutting through the rhetoric and obfuscation to get to the real truth about Trident.

Timmon Milne Wallis was born in Boston, Massachusetts and moved with his family to Cullen on the Moray Firth. He studied politics and international relations at the University of Aberdeen. He then discovered the peace studies course at Bradford University in West Yorkshire and ended up getting a PhD from there. Timmon spent several years living at a peace camp and campaigning against the building of a nuclear cruise missile base at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire. He currently works for Quaker Peace & Social Witness, where he is now job-sharing the position of Programme Manager for Peace and Disarmament.