On the day that Tony Blair confronts the expected opposing vote of 70 Labour MPs on the Trident nuclear programme, an investigation from British newspaper The Guardian reveals that this programme is secretly subject to adjournment in order to reach a higher number of objectives.

Atomic Fleet. Despite the amount of support it has had by British Ministers up until now, and Trident’s potential improvement and technical upgrade which must be subject to the House of Commons vote, the Ministry of Defence spokesman has admitted that a new detonator created by American companies and named Arming, Fuzing and Firing, will be assembled on submarines. The experts say that with this system, Trident will be more accurate and effective, capable of gauging the firing power and radioactive fallout according to the target. Trident came into service in the British Marines in 1994, and was composed of four submarines. Each missile had a range of 7,400 kilometres and a destructive power equal to eight times that of the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. Up until today, the United Kingdom has had 16 Trident missiles at its disposal on each of the Vanguard class submarines, one of which is under constant surveillance. The fleet is in Faslane in Scotland. Blair’s plan foresees a spending of 20 billion pounds, the reduction of three submarines and cutting nuclear operational warheads by 20%.

The contenders. Blair’s decision to give himself a modern nuclear defence system responds, in his words, to the requirement of confronting an increased danger and an ‘uncertain’ world. According to Defence Secretary Des Browne, the Trident apologia levers precisely on the uncertainty of the future. “We can not predict how the situation will be in ten years”, claims the Minister. “Therefore it’s necessary to use foresight. Trident is a deterrent against extremist regimes like Iran”. Nigel Griffiths, Labour deputy leader of the Commons and Ministerial Aide Jim Devine, have both resigned in protest. The Liberal Democrats, led by Sir Menzies Campbell, want to postpone the decision to 2014. Sixty percent of British citizens are against the new nuclear programme, as are numerous writers, intellectuals, artists and prelates, including Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. To this we can add the other 70 Labour MPs who, in all likelihood, will vote against the plan this evening. All over the country protest demonstrations are taking place. Some demonstrators have climbed onto the roof of Scottish Parliament, and two people have been arrested. A heated debate is expected at the House of Lords, which will bring to mind March 2004, when 138 Labour MPs voted against the war on Iraq. To avoid falling this evening, Tony Blair must count on the vote of the Conservatives, who have always been in favour of nuclear development.