The Commons: Starmer’s Nuclear Weapons Stance

PA Wire

Nuclear weapons have long been controversial and heavily debated in British politics, but Keir Starmer incited another debate when he recently stated that in the event that Britain is under violent conflict in a wartime setting, he would not hesitate to push the nuclear button.

The use of nuclear weapons is frowned upon internationally due to the force of their weapons alongside the likely consequences that would occur after the weapon dropped. Historically, Labor has been the party split on the question of using nuclear weapons. Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, nuclear disarmament was a major talking point in the party, with the Left of the party wanting Britain to give up its nuclear weapons and its spending on this whilst the Right of the party wanted to keep it in order to secure its safety.

Previous Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn was more aligned with the Left of the Party in regard to nuclear weapons, a stark difference from current leader Keir Starmer. Corbyn stated he is “opposed to the use of nuclear weapons” and wants to see “a nuclear-free world”. The recent statements highlight Starmer’s efforts to shift the Labor Party to the center in the lead-up to an election. Starmer stated that the “nuclear deterrent is the bedrock” to keep the U.K. secure and that “the only way to have a safer world is to have an effective deterrent”.

The argument in favor of Britain having nuclear weapons normally centers around the fact that a country will not strike the United Kingdom if it knows that it could be hit back with nuclear force. The weapon is argued to deter conflict due to the mutually assured destruction that will occur if one side begins using nuclear weapons.

Nuclear warheads are only held by nine countries across the world, and even though there are major differences between the amount that each country possesses, the damage that only one could cause is monumental. That Keir Starmer has expressed that he will use a nuclear weapon if necessary is cause for concern for many.

When Britain first developed their atomic bomb in 1952, the post-war geopolitical climate meant Britain needed to be able to protect itself from the might of the Soviet Union, especially given the tension in relations between the West and the USSR during the Cold War.

Nevertheless, as tensions have eased throughout the 21st century, many have argued that the nuclear deterrent is unnecessary as well as outdated and that the funding used on these projects would be better served going towards contemporary issues, such as the current cost of living crisis.

Despite this, Starmer has argued that nuclear weapons are “expensive but it’s absolutely vital and needed”. This line of thinking by Starmer could show how he believes that Britain’s position and status on the world stage are not as secure as they should be and that the nuclear deterrent will give them the security necessary to preserve security.

There has been a clear difference in thinking on nuclear weapons between those who are placed on the liberal side of the political spectrum compared to those placed on the conservative side of the political spectrum.

The liberal perspective has been highlighted in this essay but the conservative view centers on the need to protect the position, power, status, and security of the country. Nuclear weapons provides states with the chance to improve their bargaining position against other states due to the sheer force of the weapon.

In March of 2024, Rishi Sunak announced his plan to invest a further £200 million pounds into Britain’s nuclear program. Interestingly, a part of Sunak’s justification for this plan was based on the view that “In a more dangerous and contested world, the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent is more vital than ever.”

These comments by Prime Minster Sunak are similar to the previous quotes mentioned by Keir Starmer, who also believed the nuclear deterrent makes the world safer. The stances of the two leaders of the major parties in Britain mean we can see an overlap between centrist and center-right thinking over the importance of nuclear weapons in the contemporary world.

As well as this, under the reign of Boris Johnson, Britain planned to “grow its nuclear warhead stockpile by more than 40% to ensure its security in a riskier global environment”. The ideological principles of Boris Johnson can be debated but it is generally seen that the former Prime Minister was a center-right politician who identified mostly as a conservative.

Through this, we can see how the conservative ideology has been in favor of the nuclear deterrent, and as mentioned before, security is a major consideration for politicians when making decisions over whether to expand their nuclear program.

The idea of security can also be argued to influence Keir Starmer and his decision to prioritize nuclear weapons for the safety of Britain. Despite Starmer being the leader of the Labor party, which mostly resonates with those on the liberal side of the political spectrum, it is clear to see that both stances do coincide with each other in terms of their justification behind why they believe in the nuclear deterrent.

Nonetheless, the issue of nuclear weapons will most likely always be a policy topic that will cause controversy and debate. Keir Starmer’s latest comments to reiterate his belief in nuclear weapons could have an impact on his performance in the next general election with the grassroots of the Labor Party but the discussion over nuclear weapons will seemingly be a dominant subject in world politics for the foreseeable future.