Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey is set to call for Britain to develop a fully independent nuclear deterrent, arguing that the UK can no longer rely on the United States under President Donald Trump. In a speech at the party's spring conference in York, Davey will warn that American support for European security has become conditional on Trump's personal whims.
Davey will highlight the UK's current reliance on the US for its Trident nuclear programme, noting that the missiles are leased from America and require regular maintenance in US facilities. 'If the answer to 'Is our nuclear deterrent working?' depends on what Donald Trump had for breakfast, then the answer is, 'No, it's not',' he is expected to say.
The Lib Dem leader will acknowledge that building a sovereign nuclear capability would cost billions over the next two decades, but argues that the money should be invested in British science and manufacturing rather than handed to the US defence industry. 'Let's invest in British science and manufacturing, build up our defence industry, and guarantee a fully independent deterrent we can truly rely on,' he will say.
Davey will cite Trump's threats to annex Greenland and his failure to challenge Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine as evidence of his unreliability. He will also note that while the Liberal Democrats remain committed to multilateral nuclear disarmament, the current global situation demands a realistic approach given Russia's large nuclear stockpile.
The speech is seen as part of the Lib Dems' 'Operation Epsom Fury' strategy to attract voters disillusioned with the UK's relationship with Trump ahead of May's local elections. Davey will argue that the question is not whether the UK should build an independent deterrent, but what happens if it does not.
