Moray SNP News

MORAY MP CONDEMNS ASTRONOMICAL NEW TRIDENT TOTAL WHILE TAX CREDIT CUTS ARE PLANNED

Moray’s MP Angus Robertson has described as ‘utterly scandalous’ the latest estimates being reported for Trident replacement, which have dramatically risen to more than £167 billion.

Local MP Mr Robertson says that this ‘astronomical’ amount of money cannot be allowed to be spent on nuclear weapons that can never be used, especially when a fraction of the amount would cover the cost of welfare and tax credit changes which are hitting the poor and working families.

Angus Robertson MP said:

“This is truly an unthinkable and indefensible sum of money to spend on the renewal of an unwanted and unusable nuclear weapons system while thousands of people in Moray alone are set to lose thousands of pounds every year as a result of tax credit and welfare changes.

“The UK Government is facing a United Nations probe over its cuts to support for disabled people and yet the Government’s own figures reveal that they are prepared to spend an astronomical £167 billion dumping four new Trident submarines on the Clyde.

“Nuclear weapons are obscene and we should be leading the way in disarmament not re-igniting a nuclear arms race.

“To allow the poor and working families in Moray and across the UK to be pushed to the edges while throwing 167,000,000,000 pounds at weapons of mass destruction is utterly scandalous.

“Not only that, but at a time when Scotland’s conventional defence capabilities have shrunk dramatically with base closures and less than 10,000 personnel it is all the more alarming that there seems to be an endless amounts of money available for abhorrent nuclear weapons.

“This almost incomprehensible amount of money could be used to invest more in conventional forces such as at our local Lossiemouth and Kinloss bases and cover the cost of tax credits and welfare and still have change.

“This is about choice and to choose nuclear weapons over people is not a choice that the SNP will ever support in Westminster.”