Lib Dem leader Ed Davey is expected to call for a completely independent nuclear deterrent for Britain at the party's spring conference, arguing the UK can no longer rely on the United States while Donald Trump is president.
Davey will claim that Trump has made American support for European security conditional on his personal whims, adding: 'While Trump is in charge, we certainly cannot rely on America as a dependable ally in the way we used to.'
Although a British prime minister can theoretically launch nuclear missiles without US input, the Trident programme is heavily dependent on America: the weapons are manufactured in the US and must be returned there regularly for maintenance. Davey will argue that this means 'the operability of our deterrent ultimately depends on the goodwill of whoever sits in the Oval Office.'
Davey will propose that the UK manufacture and maintain its nuclear weapons in Britain, acknowledging this would 'cost billions over the next two decades', but arguing that the money should be invested in British science and manufacturing rather than 'handing billions of taxpayers' hard-earned cash to the American defence and technology industry.'
The Lib Dem leader is expected to say: 'So the real question is not whether we should build a sovereign British nuclear deterrent. The question is what happens if we don't.'
While reiterating the party's commitment to multilateral nuclear disarmament, Davey will stress that with Vladimir Putin holding over 5,000 nuclear warheads, 'we must deal with the world as it is' and cannot ignore Trump's unpredictable presidency.
