-But Houghton’s argument that the UK uses the deterrent “every second of every minute of every day” invites

greater scepticism. Just exactly what has been deterred? And why have non-nuclear weapons states such as
Germany, Spain and Japan been just as successful in deterring it?
-the immensely destructive power of nuclear weapons had changed the purpose of military strategy from
winning conflicts to deterring them
manufacturing cost of the four Successor submarines to £31bn, contingency estimate of another £10bn,
Successor would cost £167bn
If the cost was insignificant, wouldn’t matter. However, cost is very large. Why does it exist?
The British response to Trident is a microcosm of the British identity at large: a nation that is
divided and unsure of itself, ultimately clinging to the past in the hopes of reclaiming faded
glory.
Division
pushing the button – Jeremy corbyn would not
what ifs
argument split on whether should ever be used, divide among Labour party
questions of whether it would ever be used, only a deterrent
appeal to “everyman in the pub”
Brexit example -
-continuation of Britain’s identity on the world stage as insular island nation, whose power went beyond
confines of island, naval nation, dockyards,

clinging to the past in the hopes of reclaiming faded glory

=fading of the british empire, remnant of the cold war, at the time when nuclear tensions were the highest in
history, exists because o pre-emptive attacks on the static (and hardly secret) locations of land-based nuclear
weapons: airfields for the aircraft that would drop free-fall bombs and the silos that sheltered intercontinental
ballistic missiles. Nuclear sub makes sense, can hide in the entire ocean, almost undetectable, therefore trident
born. However, main threat USSR dissolved in 1991, car over for decades, why still exist? Would never bomb
country that doesn’t have nukes, would never bomb a country that does

“We’ve got to have this thing [the atom bomb] over here whatever it costs [and] we’ve got to have the
bloody Union Jack on top of it,” were the words of the Labour foreign secretary, Ernest Bevin, in 1946
after he returned from an unsuccessful attempt to persuade Washington to share its nuclear
expertise.
Brexit an example of hoping to regain soveringty.
“take” control
top table of nations, punching above weight, hope of going back

Trident was about keeping Britain as a permanent member of the UN security council
Brexit voting: 18-24: 75%, 25-49: 56%, 50- 64: 44%, 65+: 39%
References
Elgot, J. et al., 2018. 'We're not morons': Brexit divisions harden across Britain. The Guardian

Jack, I. (2016). Trident: the British. The Guardian.

Small, M. (2017). Brexit, Trident and the Death of Britain. Bella Caledonia.
Speed, B. (2016). How did different demographic groups vote in the EU referendum? New Statesman.