Stormont MLAs on Tuesday debated UK defence policy a day after a Democratic Unionist Party MP suggested the Trident nuclear operation could be moved to Northern Ireland.
Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson floated the idea during a House of Commons debate on Monday in which prime minister David Cameron outlined his government’s approach to defence-spending for the next decade.
He suggested Trident be moved to the North if opposition to its continued presence in Scotland proved insurmountable.
The Trident programme covers the operation of Britain’s nuclear weapons and features four submarines armed with ballistic missiles. It is run by the Royal Navy and based at Scotland’s Clyde Naval Base. A minimum of one of the submarines is always on patrol to provide a constant deterrent.
Stormont on Tuesday debated the renewal of the nuclear defence system and the divisive nature of the matter was clearly illustrated when a vote on the issue was tied.
Forty four Assembly members supported Sinn Féin’s motion questioning the multibillion-pound expenditure, while 44 members opposed it. The draw meant the motion fell.
Responding to the result, Assembly speaker Mitchel McLaughlin said: “That sounds like mutual deterrence, does it not?”
The motion would not have had any practical policy impact if it has passed, as defence remains a reserved matter at Westminster.
Addressing MLAs in Parliament Buildings, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy insisted it was important to have the debate, stressing the need to make the positions of the devolved institutions clear.
The Scottish Parliament recently held a similar debate on Trident, with a majority of members opposing renewal.
“Of course, the British government are entitled to have their own defence policy and follow their own defence strategies, as supported or proposed in the British House of Commons,” Mr Murphy said.
“However, such spending plans have a direct impact across Britain and, indeed, here in Ireland where people will be affected by the subsequent lack of money available to departments and the systems of public spending here.”
He said the the Assembly, Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly speaking with one voice on an issue such as Trident “strengthens the hand of those whom we ask to speak to the British government about the impact of their austerity policies and spending plans on the people whom we represent.”
Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt criticised Sinn Féin for tabling the debate. He contrasted the move with Sinn Féin’s support last week for transferring responsibility for the devolved issue of welfare reform back to Westminster.
“Now, to complete the exercise of turning the world on its head, they want to debate a matter that is not, never has been and never will be devolved: defence,” he said.
“We believe, along with the majority of our forward-thinking and informed citizens, that we must support investment in our future and security. While we sincerely hope that the world will be a much more peaceful place over the lifetime of this Trident replacement programme, we as a party do not believe that we can take the unjustifiable risk of unilateral disarmament.”
PA