Shoud the UK keep its nuclear deterrent?

[Blue3]

What we should do is decommission the ones we have but don't tell anyone, just tell the rest of the world we still have them it will be just as effective but much cheaper 

 

[melias shoes]

Yes.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Get rid. Waste of time. I'm with The Merry Prankster on this "rightsizing" thing.

 

[Hastings gull]

Is it not a bit hypocritical telling other countries they can not make nukes if we are sat on a load ourselves?
And yo could reverse the argument about the states by saying what would happen if we keep them and the UK government goes a bit nuts and starts empire building. If we had nukes it would cause far more carnage than if we didn't.

Yes, it would seem so, but can you in all honesty say that we are on the same level playing field, stability-wise, as say, Iran, North Korea and as things stand, Pakistan. WE don't want them to have nuclear weapons, because we simply do not know what the future might bring. Of course, you could say that about us and the US as well, but it is far less likely that we would be governed by an irrational despot.

Nuclear weapons have kept a relative peace in Europe and acted as a deterrent for a long time, and we would be foolish to abandon ours. Of course it s justifiable to say that we should get rid and spend the money on easily deserving causes, NHS eg, and that it a waste of money, but we simply do not know what the future may hold (ISIS etc).