Boys and their toys

So there you go. We are going to build a new generation of three or four dirty great nuclear submarines which will creep around the oceans in case North Korea or Iran (or some other unidentified power) ever threatens us, in which case we would be able to obliterate them with the multiply targetted warheads of trident missiles.

Of course, you might think that our major problem these days is terrorism, and that a nuclear deterrent is of little use in that respect. You might also think that it is silly to spend a vast sum of money on the rather remote contingency that some rogue state might seriously threaten us. You might think that a nuclear deterrent is unlikely to deter a rogue state bent on mischief. You might even think that Germany, Spain and Canada have managed to survive for 50 years without relying on a nuclear deterrent and have no plans to seek one.

But, in the Prime Minister's judgement, all this is vitally necessary. And we should all have faith in the Prime Minister's judgement.

Mr Blair's statement is here.