‘NO CLARITY – NO DETAIL AND INFORMATION WITHHELD FROM PARLIAMENT’ AS COVER UP CONTINUES
SNP Defence team member, Martin Docherty-Hughes MP has said the UK government has shown ‘contempt’ towards communities and Parliament in its response to the revelations about a Trident nuclear missile malfunction last summer.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon was summoned to the House of Commons to explain the circumstances of the cover up that followed the incident – particularly as the Prime Minister Theresa May refused to confirm if she knew about it.
The missile failure occurred before the House of Commons voted to renew the £205 billion weapons of mass destruction programme, despite 58 of Scotland’s 59 MPs refusing to back it.
Martin Docherty-Hughes MP said:
“Michael Fallon’s refusal, even now, to acknowledge this malfunction is infuriating given that the US Government have already confirmed this incident occurred. It serves to highlight the UK Government’s contempt for Parliament, MPs and the communities we represent.
“Trident is insanely expensive and morally repugnant. We now have to add that there are not new and real questions about its reliability and safety; it is certainly no longer a viable deterrent.
“58 of Scotland’s 59 MPs voted against renewal – and with costs out of control and new information about safety concerns, the SNP will be asking these questions and demanding answers.”
SNP Shadow Defence Spokesperson Brendan O’Hara MP added:
“What we heard in the House of Commons was shocking. The response from the UK government reeked of complacency with no transparency – no clarity and no detail whatsoever on the Trident nuclear missile malfunction.
“As with Brexit, so it is with Trident – the Tories are treating parliament and the people they claim to represent by operating under a veil of secrecy, obfuscation and confusion.
“The UK government’s secrecy, complacency and their failure today to answer any questions about this is utterly chilling.
“The Tories clearly don’t get it. If there was a cover up before the vote to renew this deadly weapons system – then that is completely unacceptable and if this government doesn’t understand that – then that is deeply worrying.”