The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have clashed over the replacement of Trident. Whilst the Conservatives want to see a like-for-like replacement of the four boat fleet, the Liberal Democrats want the fleet reduced to three boats. In the ninth Picturing Politics Dr David Gill looks at the history behind the four boat fleet, tracing its origins back to Harold Wilson and Trident’s predecessor, Polaris. Wilson’s decisions regarding Polaris, Dr Gill argues, may continue to influence the Conservatives and Britain’s nuclear policy well in to the 21st century.
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You can also download a written version here.
Picturing Politics is a series of audio and video clips featuring academics commenting on the political significance of a diverse range of images. The series is intended to offer an invaluable insight into the many ways in which politics has been imagined – quite literally – throughout history, and also the ways in which images have been used to shape and influence our understanding of politics.
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