Sir Keir Starmer has been told to put plans in place for the “terrifying strategic betrayal” of Donald Trump bringing the UK-US Trident nuclear missile partnership to an end.
The missiles, designed in the US by Lockheed Martin, are jointly maintained – which costs far less than if the Royal Navy were to carry out the work on its own.
But much of Britain’s nuclear stockpile is kept in the States – while in-service Trident missiles are sent across the Atlantic for periodic refurbishing.
Defence industry analyst Nicholas Drummond said that while it was “extremely unlikely” that Trump would sever the nuclear partnership, Britain needed to plan for a future in which he refuses to give the UK the missiles for its nuclear deterrent.
Such a refusal would be a “strategic betrayal on a grand scale that would damage him and America,” Drummond told The Telegraph.
“When it comes to support and maintenance, I would say that we are largely dependent on the US for parts and technical assistance. If this was withdrawn, it would also weaken our deterrent,” he said.
“Anyone who suggested this a year ago would have been dismissed as an idiot. Now it is a scenario that we need to plan for.”
Former Defence Select Committee Chair Tobias Ellwood, however, counselled calm.
“Whatever [Trump] decides, it won’t affect our current ability – because he will be out of office by the time the missiles need to be replaced,” he said.
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Healey in Washington for crunch peace talks as EU welcomes Zelensky
Defence Secretary John Healey is in Washington DC for crunch peace talks with American counterpart Pete Hegseth today – as Europe prepares to unleash hundreds of billions of Euros of military spending at a major EU summit.
Healey and Hegseth – whose public relationship has appeared strong despite a rocky few weeks for US-UK ties – will sit down for a bilateral meeting on a possible peace plan in Ukraine.
The meeting comes ahead of a major EU defence meeting later today – where leaders from the Brussels bloc’s 27 member states will come together with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sign off on a nine-figure military spending boost.
Healey was asked as he arrived in DC yesterday what he would say to his counterpart about the issue when they meet for talks.
“Those are discussions for tomorrow, but it’s part of a two-day programme and we’re working hard for peace,” he said.
Labour Minister invokes Troubles as she sidesteps questions on US-Ukraine intelligence row
Jones told Times Radio this morning that the UK must be an ‘honest broker’ in bringing the war in Ukraine to an end
PA
Labour’s Industry Minister Sarah Jones has invoked Britain’s role in bringing the Troubles to an end as she side-stepped questions on America’s withdrawal of intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
Jones told Times Radio this morning that the UK must be an “honest broker” in bringing the war in Ukraine to an end – but that commenting on “every twist and turn” would not be “the right thing to do”.
“The role that we are playing in this situation is to be an honest broker, and the Prime Minister has been clear that that means we’re not commenting on every twist and turn or comment that has been made overnight,” she said. “It wouldn’t be the right thing to do.”
“We learnt in Northern Ireland how important it is when you are playing that honest broker role, to not be commenting on every twist and turn, but to be sticking to our principles which I think everybody in the country supports in terms of continuing to support Ukraine, playing that role to stop the fighting.
“And that means working with the US, working with France, working with others.”
Asked whether it was a principle that intelligence should be shared with Ukraine, Jones added: “We don’t comment on intelligence matters, as I said. The principle is that we will support Ukraine. That is an unwavering position.”
Yesterday’s top story: ‘Two-tier justice!’ Ethnic minority criminals to receive ‘special treatment’ in courts
Britain’s Sentencing Council has been accused of “two-tier justice” following reports ethnic minority criminals are to receive “special treatment”.
The body published new principles for judges to follow when imposing community and custodial sentences, including whether to suspend jail time.
Among the guidelines, magistrates and judges have been told to “normally consider” ordering a pre-sentence report on an offender if they came from “an ethnic minority, cultural minority, and/or faith minority community.”
As a result, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has launched into a scathing attack on “two-tier” Britain…