VCDNP Research Associate Louis Reitmann presented options for advancing UK policy on nuclear risk reduction and disarmament at the UK PONI Annual Conference on 12 September 2023 in Whitehall, London. Organised by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the conference brought together officials from the British nuclear weapons establishment, representatives from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Ministry of Defence, academia, and emerging experts.
Mr. Reitmann noted the timeliness of considering alternatives to current UK nuclear weapons policy given a potential change in government after the next general election, as indicated by national polling. He stressed that the British debate around nuclear weapons, especially within the Labour Party, often imagines a binary choice between the deterrent in its current form and complete, unilateral disarmament. This ignores a range of viable policy options in between that would contribute to global security and the UK’s recognition as a responsible nuclear-weapon State.
Against this backdrop, Mr. Reitmann set out eight measures that a future UK government could implement to advance nuclear risk reduction and disarmament:
The UK Project on Nuclear Issues (UK PONI) is a is a cross-generational network of over 1,700 members which encourages young scholars and professionals to engage with established experts on contemporary nuclear issues.