Can Britain afford not to have Trident?

We live in very dangerous times. We don’t only face the threat of terrorist extremism from both at home and abroad – which is a new and difficult threat to know how to deal with effectively. But, we also face the traditional threat of Russia and possibly other countries too.

Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its continuing involvement in the Ukraine, there is a ‘real and present danger’ of Russia trying to destabilise the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. There is also a very real worry about "pressure" from Russian President Vladimir Putin on these ex-Soviet states as they are also NATO members who we are committed to defend if they are attacked.

On top of all of this Russian Bear Bombers have been seen close to the British coast on more than one occasion (although outside our sovereign air space) and RAF jets had to be scrambled to escort them away.

How would Russia respond if we did not have Trident? Whatever we think of the cost of Trident it is what kept us safe during the cold war; and it is what is keeping us safe now. And yet, 75% of Labour candidates at the election are against renewing Trident – our country’s last line of defence. (New Statesman, 3 Mar 2015).

Labour’s opposition to Trident makes a post-election deal between Labour and the SNP an even bigger threat, with Alex Salmond demanding that Britain’s unilateral disarmament be part of any Labour-SNP coalition.

The prospect of Ed Miliband and Alex Salmond in Downing Street, giving up Britain’s last line of defence, is all too real if the Conservatives don’t win the election.

Yet surely in this uncertain world we need Trident more than ever. If you vote for me to be your next MP, I promise that my first priority will be to keep us – the British people safe – and I will vote for Britain to keep our nuclear deterrent.

Only a Conservative Government is truly committed to keeping us safe.