Clarke 'sceptical' about Trident

The operational end of Trident's life is due to be 2024

Ex-Home Secretary Charles Clarke says he is currently "extremely sceptical" about the need to replace the UK's Trident nuclear weapons system.

Mr Clarke, the most senior Labour MP to speak out on the issue, said Trident had been designed for the Cold War era.

Things had changed since then and the UK should focus on future threats rather than building weapons to "fight the last war", he said.

A white paper outlining options for replacing Trident is due on Monday.

Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown have both indicated they want to see the UK keeping its own nuclear weapons system.

TRIDENT MISSILE SYSTEM Missile length: 44ft (13m) Weight: 130,000lb (58,500kg) Diameter: 74 inches (1.9m) Range: More than 4,600 miles (7,400km) Power plant: Three stage solid propellant rocket Cost: £16.8m ($29.1m) per missile Source: Federation of American Scientists How Trident works

Although there have been reports of some disagreements in Cabinet, ministers are to outline their favoured option - expected to be a replacement for the Trident system - in the white paper, expected next week.

There will then follow a three-month consultation on the plans and a vote by MPs in the House of Commons.

Ministers want a quick decision to ensure any replacement is ready when Trident's working life ends in 2024.

Mr Clarke told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I am extremely sceptical. Trident was an expensive weapons system developed in the Cold War to meet the conditions of the Cold War, which ended 17 years ago.

"It is still capable of functioning for about another 15 years. I think we have to take our security decisions on the basis of what are likely to be the main security threats in the future, rather than building weapons to fight the last war."

Deterrence

The main security threats today involve terrorism, organised crime and people trafficking, said Mr Clarke.

"These types of threats that we have to face today aren't in my opinion confronted by the Trident submarine-borne missile system," he said.

Despite his scepticism he said he would wait to see the case put in the white paper for replacing Trident, before deciding whether to vote for or against.

Mr Clarke: Has yet to see a "compelling case" put

Supporters argue Trident is needed to deter any threat - particularly at a time when countries like North Korea and Iran harbour their own nuclear ambitions.

The Conservatives also back retaining nuclear weapons, while the Liberal Democrats have called for a wider vote on the options.

Britain has 16 Trident missiles based on each of the four nuclear submarines.

MPs on the Commons defence committee, who are looking at the issue, are also considering a "middle way" of overhauling, rather than replacing, the submarine fleet carrying the US-made Trident missiles.

Anti-nuclear campaigners say they fear the government has already decided to go ahead with replacing Trident.

Critics say the cost of replacing Trident - estimated at up to £25bn - would be better spent elsewhere, particularly as nuclear weapons would be useless in the fight against international terrorism.