*Party pledges to scrap Nuclear Weapons and give the NHS an ‘emergency kiss of life’
*Government figures suggest that scrapping Trident could pay for 85,000 midwives, nurses and other health
The Green Party will today unveil plans to cancel the replacement of Trident Nuclear Weapons. The co-leader of the Party, Jonathan Bartley, will pledge to plough the money earmarked for Trident into the NHS. At a visit to a hospital in South London Bartley will say that his party would give the NHS an ‘emergency kiss of life’ with the money that the Government is planning to spend on Trident.
The Green Party’s announcement comes after the Labour Party pledged to renew Trident – despite Jeremy Corbyn saying he wouldn’t use it [1] – and the Conservatives saying they would consider a ‘first strike’ use of nuclear weapons [2].
Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, will say that both positions are ill-considered, illogical and immoral.
He will say:
“Voters are being offered a choice between Tory first strike fanaticisms and Labour’s HMS Pointless. What could be more immoral than considering a first use of nuclear weapons, knowing full well that it would lead to the death of countless civilians? And what could be more illogical that pledging to renew a multibillion pound nuclear weapons system that will never be used? With people struggling to get by in Britain it’s inexcusable to be ploughing people’s money into this cold war relic.
“Instead of replacing this nuclear monstrosity the Green Party would give the NHS an emergency kiss of life. People are being treated in corridors while we flush money away on nuclear weapons. Cancelling Trident would give our NHS more than £3bn per year – which must be added to additional funding from raising taxes. Real security means having a world class health service, not locking ourselves into replacing these weapons we’ll never use. Imagine the impact on our NHS of employing 85,000 more nurses, midwives and health professionals – that’s what is at stake here.”
Estimates for the cost of Trident replacement vary, but figures from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament point to a lifetime cost of £205bn. The Green Party’s funding announcement uses a conservative estimate of £110bn as to the cost of Trident.
According to the Government the 2015-16 cost of paying nurses, midwives and health visitors was £42,300 per FTE [4]. This means that if you had an extra £3.6 billion to spend, you could employ up to 85,106 more staff.
Notes:
[3] Workings for the £110bn cost of Trident over its 30 year lifespan:
House of Commons Lib say the annual running costs are 2.3bn a year: Once the new nuclear deterrent submarine comes into service the annual in-service costs are expected to continue at approximately 6% of the defence budget, which, on current spending levels, is £2.3 billion per year. [1]
Multiply 2.3 by 30 = £69bn
The £31bn and the £10bn the Govt have said are needed for design and manufacture and contingency = £41bn
This is referenced by the HoC Lib: The 2015 SDSR confirmed that the costs of design and manufacture of a class of four SSBN, including inflation over the 20-year life of the programme, would be £31 billion, an increase of £6 billion on estimates set down in the programme’s Initial Gate report in 2011. A £10 billion contingency will also be set aside. [2]
£69bn + £41bn = £110bn
Divide by 30 to get an annual opportunity cost of £3.6bn