If not the financial and global implications, perhaps Gordon might understand Trident’s potential electoral fallout

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

In a ComRes poll for today’s Independent, respondants have catergorically called for the Trident scheme to be scrapped, by 58% to 35%. The news report in the paper says:

“Ministers have told The Independent that there is growing support for switching money from the Trident programme to reducing public debt and improving equipment for British troops, especially given the rise in the death toll among servicemen in Afghanistan in recent months.”

I’ve repeatedly said that renewing Trident is not true to our nation’s finances, nor our position in the world, nor our values as a party. In July, I wrote:

“A better response for a governing party would be to identify areas that seem extravagant during times of hardship – ID cards and Trident renewal are two examples that grate Labour supporters particularly – and ringfence critical and to my mind sacrosanct public services such as education, health, welfare and housing.”

I hope this stark poll will help reframe Gordon Brown’s position on these vastly expensive plans in a way we all know he craves to understand: electoral popularity.

The results in full are:

Given the state of the country’s finances, the Government should scrap the Trident missile system
Agree: 58%
Disagree: 35%

Despite the deficit in public finances, spending on the NHS should increase in real terms every year
Agree: 82%
Disagree: 17%

Despite the deficit in public finances, spending on education should increase in real terms every year
Agree: 84%
Disagree: 14%