Steve Aiken OBE, a former Royal Navy Nuclear Submarine Captain and now an Ulster Unionist Assembly candidate for South Antrim in the forthcoming elections, has described Jeremy Corbyn`s comments that the UK could keep Trident submarines, but without warheads, as incoherent. Mr Aiken also expressed concern about Mr Corbyn seeking an ‘accomodation’ with Argentina over the Falkland Islands.

Mr Aiken said:

“The impression given by Jeremy Corbyn’s incoherent, implausible and outdated views on the deterrent are, on the face of it, laughable. The idea that the deterrent, which has helped the United Kingdom remain safe from large scale warfare (if you’re in doubt of that, look at the carnage that was being inflicted on this date 100 years ago), can be provided by submarines, on patrol with no warheads, is deeply flawed, both politically and militarily. Of greater concern is the idea that we could be ‘like Japan’; disregarding the Japanese constitution’s prohibition of nuclear weapons, the thought that the United Kingdom would rely on being able to ‘screwdriver’ a weapon system together at short notice, which Jeremy says he wouldn’t use anyway, builds on the total inconsistency of his argument.

“Dangerously, the concept that we as an avowed Nuclear Weapon State, as agreed by international treaty, would advocate this approach would give succour to many other ‘sub-weapon status’ powers, like Iran, who would then argue if this was suitable for the United Kingdom, then ‘why wouldn’t it be for us?’. An ill-thought-out, ideologically driven policy would have the effect of making proliferation more, rather than less, likely. It is equally remarkable that Labour, in 1946, created the programme for developing Britain’s nuclear weapons, and the arguments that Attlee and Bevin proposed, and the need for the United Kingdom to retain a significant voice, for good, on the international stage, still remain.

“As an ex-submarine captain, and defence academic, I obviously have concerns about the direction of Labour’s nuclear policy. And as someone who has spent over a year of his life patrolling around and under the seas surrounding the Falkland Islands, I have equal concerns around his, seemingly, throw away lines about reaching an ‘accommodation’ with Argentina over the Islands. The statement that the Islanders, who by every poll wish to remain British (99.8% in 2013), may have an ‘enormous say’ over their future won’t fill the residents of Port Stanley, Goose Green and the Camp with much confidence that a future Labour government would support their rights.

“Equally, for us as British citizens of Northern Ireland, secure by the principle of consent enshrined in the Belfast Agreement, it is also a worry that an avowed supporter of a United Ireland, supported by a shadow chancellor and ex-mayor of London with similar views, may seek to achieve an ‘accommodation’over our future; regardless of any ‘enormous say’ that we may have. The statements made by Jeremy Corbyn on Sunday have managed to undermine global, national, South Atlantic and our own, Northern Ireland, security in one morning – I really hope that the many excellent Labour MPs who really understand the United Kingdom’s place in the world can sort this maverick out before real harm is done.”

Note to Editors:

You can follow Steve Aiken OBE on twitter at @SteveAikenUUP

As a Commander in the Royal Navy, Steve held a variety of senior appointments within the Ministry of Defence including leading the influential Global Strategic Trends group, advising on such issues as Climate Change, Energy Security, Europe and the Middle East, helping work on Strategic Defence Reviews and the National Security Strategy. Before that he also had a career as a Nuclear Submarine Captain, and had extensive operational experience of the Polar Regions, South Asia, the Middle and Far East. He was awarded the OBE and the US Meritorious Service Medal for his work in the Middle East and South West Asia.