Trident Costs Soar

Maintaining and developing the Trident nuclear warheads stationed on the Clyde is going to cost a massive £18.5 billion over 13 years, according to the first official breakdown of defence nuclear spending.

New figures released by the UK Government reveal that £12.7bn of public money has been spent on nuclear weapons over the last 10 years. A further £5.8bn is planned to be spent over the next three years.

MSP Calls on UK Government to Back Cluster Bomb Ban

Dundee West SNP MSP, Joe FitzPatrick, has written to the Secretary of State for Defence, Des Browne, urging the UK Government to back a total ban on the use of cluster bombs at the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions. The UK Government has indicated it will oppose an outright ban on the use of cluster bombs.

Labour Should Apologise for Illegal War

The SNP's Depute leader Nicola Sturgeon MSP has condemned Labour's Wendy Alexander for suggesting the Iraq War is not a "real issue" for the people of Scotland. Her comments follow a condemnation of Des Browne over the Iraq war by army regiment campaigners.

Ms Sturgeon said:

"It's outrageous that Wendy Alexander considers the Iraq War not to be a real issue. Labour continue to peddle this preposterous notion that the conflict isn't important to the people of Scotland.

Depleted Uranium Tests Under Fire

The Scottish Environment Minister has criticised moves by the Ministry of Defence to carry out depleted uranium weapons testing in south west Scotland.

Mike Russell said the failure to take local opinion into account was "disappointing".

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SNP Government Set Up Trident Expert Group

The Scottish Government has set up an expert group to investigate how best to get rid of nuclear weapons.

The group, to be chaired by Bruce Crawford MSP, Minister for Parliamentary Business, is seen by many as a crucial step towards making Scotland a nuclear-free nation.

Iraqi MPs’ Oil Law votes bought?

Dr Bill Wilson, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, is dismayed at the latest news coming out of Iraq regarding the Oil Law.

Dr Wilson was referring specifically to the charge by an anonymous Iraqi MP, reported in Akhbar Alkhaleej newspaper, that Iraqi MPs are being offered $5 million each to back the controversial Oil Law.