Useless weapons

It is the author's long held view that the only value nuclear weapons have had since the Soviet Union developed them has been as a deterrent. Now that the threat of Soviet forces stationed in Germany no longer exists, the UK's annual expenditure of around a billion pounds on activities connected with nuclear weapons seems increasingly indefensible. The arguments the Government uses to support the retention of a nuclear capability are mostly arguments that could equally be used in support of other, non-nuclear, countries developing such a capability. Even Sir Michael Quinlan, a staunch advocate of nuclear weapons, has recently admitted that if this country did not already have them, he would not advise the Government to divert resources into obtaining them.