Billions wasted on Trident could stop cuts, warns UNISON chief

Commenting on the Defence Secretary Liam Fox’s announcement that the cost of a new fleet of Trident nuclear missile submarines could more than double to £25bn by the time they are built, Dave Prentis, UNISON’s General Secretary, said:





“The Defence Secretary’s decision to plough money into Trident will leave a sour taste in the mouth of the millions hit hardest by the Government cuts.

“This huge sum could be used to save the economy and stop the loss of thousands of jobs and hospital wards, children’s centres and other vital services. The £25bn does not even include the price of warheads, running costs and the bill for leasing Trident missiles from the US.

“Just a week ago Nick Clegg claimed the Lib Dem’s had put a stop to all this. This is clearly another sign that the Government’s claims cannot be believed.

“We know that there is an alternative to the Government’s cuts agenda - cracking down on the tax avoiders and tax havens, raising a Robin Hood Tax on the banks and making taxation fairer, would also save billions, at the same time as safeguarding our recovery.”

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