U.K. Parliament Should Conduct Due Diligence before Trident Vote

On July 18, parliament will debate and vote on the principle of replacement of the UK’s Trident nuclear weapons system. This is a major decision for the future security and defense of the United Kingdom. The government wants to commit the country to this particular weapons system until the 2070s, and it comes with a massive price tag of up to £41 billion. 

The vote comes only two weeks after the release of the Chilcot Inquiry report about the UK’s role in the Iraq War. Chilcot’s findings have rightly unnerved parliamentarians and raised serious questions about decision making at the highest level. 

In this opinion article, NTI’s Isabelle Williams writes that UK parliamentarians should learn lessons from the Chilcot Inquiry and conduct due diligence before a Trident vote.