Back Blair's nuclear arms plan, UK minister urges

By Staff
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LONDON, Mar 11 (Reuters) A senior government minister urged party members today to support Prime Minister Tony Blair's plans to renew Britain's nuclear arsenal.

Parliament votes later this week on a proposal to buy up to four new nuclear-armed submarines for as much as 20 billion pounds.

''I shall be voting for the right thing to do on Wednesday because I think in the differently dangerous world in which we live now it doesn't make sense for us to give up our nuclear weapons,'' Hilary Benn, Britain's international development minister, told Sky television.

Blair has pledged to renew Britain's Trident nuclear weapons system on the grounds that new threats from Iran, North Korea or nuclear terrorists make it dangerous to disarm.

The new submarines would enable Britain to keep a nuclear deterrent into the 2050s, replacing existing nuclear submarines due to go out of service in around 2024.

The government faces stiff opposition from within its own party but is expected to win the vote with support from the opposition Conservatives.

''The vast majority of Conservatives will be supporting the government,'' shadow defence minister Liam Fox told Sky. ''We think the government's decision on Trident is the right one.'' Almost two thirds of Labour backbenchers oppose the government's decision, according to a BBC poll at the weekend.

Of 101 Labour deputies who took part in the survey, 64 said they opposed the renewal of Trident and only 22 backed the plan.

Labour leadership contender Michael Meacher accused the government of trying to strongarm members of parliament into accepting the plan to replace the submarines.

He said if he were to become leader he would reopen the debate and arrange a ''full and proper'' consultation of at least six months.

Several British newspapers carried reports at the weekend that ministers faced a significant Labour party rebellion with at least one ministerial aide -- Jim Devine, the parliamentary private secretary to Health Minister Rosie Winterton -- preparing to resign over the issue.

REUTERS SP PM1821

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