New blow for Devonport
Plymouth’s Naval Dockyard was plunged into more uncertainty today as Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, appeared to pull the plug on the Trident nuclear deterrent.
Until now, the cost of Trident has not been part of the Defence budget, but a separate item covered by the Treasury.
Osborne insisted today that the comfort blanket will be removed and the full, estimated cost of £20bn must be borne by the Ministry of Defence.
The MoD has already been asked to make substantial cuts as part of the Strategic Defence Review and the Coalition’s emergency austerity package.
The word on the street is that the current fleet of Vanguard submarines could have their life extended for up to 10 years.
If that is the case, Devonport is unlikely to be scrapped as a Naval asset since it is the only means of servicing the Vanguards, and has both the equipment and expertise to do the job.
Nevertheless, the announcement will add to the anxieties of workers at the dockyard.