Scrapping Trident is spot on

Nick Clegg's announcement about Trident today is spot on. The world has changed since the height of the cold war. No longer do we need a full blooded Trident system that covers all eventualities no matter how unlikely those eventualities may be.

We need a comprehensive defence system that deals with foreseeable risks. To dole out for a hyper expensive Trident system when the public finances are in a mess and our troops on the ground are in desperate need of more helicopters and the right kit would not be right.

Trident fan Tory MP Julian Lewis and I engaged in a debate on BBC Radio Northampton today. His position is a counsel of despair - he wants Trident forever because, he says, he can't predict what's round the corner. He's made up his mind that we're keeping Trident. He's scuppering the Non Proliferation Talks next year before they have even begun.

That doesn't mean that we won't support some form of nuclear deterrent just not a gold plated one. We need something that's appropriate. I also want Britain negotiate our nuclear weapons away in next year's talks and the position taken today will significantly help the preparations for those talks by putting our nuclear deterrent front and central.