Trident trouble for Fox
With massive spending cuts being forced on the coalition government by Labour's financial mismanagement, particular care needs to be taken that no area is left unexamined by the need to ensure expenditure is rationalised. Yet Conservative Defence Secretary, Liam Fox, still seems fixated by the need for a replacement to the Trident missile submarine system, at a cost likely to be well in excess of the current estimate of £20 billion. It seems he was preparing a defence review which omits any discussion of the need to cut the program - given its dubious benefits and lack of relevance to current defence needs - yet Liberal Democrats have been successful in forcing the coalition to put the cost of a Trident replacement back in the defence budget where it belongs, rather than being met from general Treasury funding. If he is serious about making savings, then these should start with this outdated piece of cold war kit.
