Canadian PM Justin Trudeau weakened after main ally unexpectedly pulls support

 

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By David Ljunggren, 

Reuters

Justin Trudeau. Photo: Dominika Zarzycka / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suffered an unexpected blow on Wednesday when the small party helping keep his minority Liberal government in power withdrew its automatic support, forcing him to attempt new alliances to govern.

Promising to continue governing and pushing through social programs, Trudeau dismissed talk of early elections after the left-leaning New Democratic Party's leader Jagmeet Singh said he was "ripping up" a deal struck between the two men in 2022.

But the move leaves Trudeau reliant on support from other opposition lawmakers to survive confidence votes in the lower chamber of Parliament at a time when polls show he will lose badly if an election were held now. An election must be held by the end of October 2025 under Canadian law.

"An election will come in the coming year, hopefully not until next fall, because in the meantime, we're going to deliver for Canadians," Trudeau told reporters at a school where he had arrived to talk about expanding lunch programs.

"I really hope the NDP stays focused on how we can deliver for Canadians, as we have over the past years, rather than focusing on politics."

Trudeau, 52, first took office in November 2015 but has over the last two years struggled to fend off attacks from the opposition centre-right Conservatives, who blame him for high inflation and a housing crisis.

With the NDP's support, his government has pushed through social programs designed to address the cost of living.

But the NDP's Singh had expressed growing frustration with Trudeau in recent months, especially over what he said was the Liberals' failure to deal with high prices at grocery stores.

"Justin Trudeau has proven again and again he will always cave to corporate greed," Singh said in a video posted on social media where he also declared that he would run for prime minister in the next election. "Liberals have led people down - they don't deserve another chance."

Establishing independence

Polls indicate the same voter fatigue plaguing Trudeau has also spread to the NDP, which despite successfully pushing the Liberals to introduce measures such as a national dental program is languishing far behind in third place.

Under the 2022 deal, the NDP agreed to keep Trudeau in power until mid-2025 in return for more social spending.

Fred Cutler, an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, said the party needed to reestablish its full independence well before the election.

"At least some voters will say, 'Oh, yeah ... the NDP are not just in the Liberals' back pocket, they're competing against the Liberals in the election,'" Cutler said.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre reiterated his call for an early election to break up what he called a Liberal-NDP coalition driving up prices for Canadians.

The House of Commons resumes work on Sept. 16, after which the Conservatives will have the ability to propose a vote of confidence. Trudeau's Liberals could still survive if the NDP abstained on such a vote.

A statement from the NDP said the party would decide on an issue-by-issue basis whether to support the Liberals on confidence votes, suggesting it may continue to prop up Trudeau if his fate hung in the balance.

A key moment for Trudeau's government will be its budget update later this year, which, if voted down by legislators, would trigger a new election.

- Reuters

 

Map reveals England’s top 10 pollution hotspots

Hiyah ZaidiMETRO UKPublished Sep 4, 2024,

England is one of the most nature-depleted areas in the world (Picture: Getty)

More than a quarter of neighbourhoods in England have pollution levels that are highly dangerous to wildlife, new research shows.

Data from environmental organisation Friends of the Earth (FoE) has revealed that 27.5%, or 9,062 of neighbourhoods across the country have reached levels of water, air, noise and light pollution that is harmful to nature and threaten the survival of British species such as pollinating bees and native bats. 

What are pollution hotspots?

Pollution hotspots are the areas where all four thresholds for pollution (air, water, noise and light) are breached.

This can take the form of sewage being dumped into waterways, which can kill fish, or places with noxious fumes from air pollution that can reduce honey bees’ ability to recognise different scents from only a few metres away by up to 90%.

Excessive noise pollution in areas could leave to animals such as birds or reptiles struggling to communicate or find food. 

Despite a high level of areas breaching all four thresholds, many more breached two or three thresholds of pollution, and no constituency in England breached none.

The data reveals how England is one of the most nature-depleted areas in the world, with FoE reporting that nearly one in six species is facing extinction across the UK. 

In a map, FoE revealed that the top neighbourhood with the highest concentration of pollution levels, is rather unsurprisingly in London, in the area of Chelsea and Fulham. 

Where are England’s top 10 pollution hotspots? (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

However, not all hotspots were in London. The report reveals that Chelsea and Fulham were followed by Salford, Worsley and Eccles in Greater Manchester, Vauxhall and Camberwell, and Battersea.  

Where are the top 10 pollution hotspots in England?

1. Chelsea and Fulham, London – out of 79 neighbourhoods, 76 cross threshold levels for all four pollution categories 
2. Salford – out of 61 neighbourhoods, 56 cross threshold levels for all four pollution categories
3. Worsley and Eccles, Greater Manchester – out of 69 neighbourhoods, 62 cross threshold levels for all four pollution categories 
4. Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, London – out of 59 neighbourhoods, 53 cross threshold levels for all four pollution categories
5. Battersea, London – out of 57 neighbourhoods, 50 cross threshold levels for all four pollution categories
6. Poplar and Limehouse, London – out of 61 neighbourhoods, 52 cross threshold levels for all four pollution categories
7. Cities of London and Westminster, London – out of 80 neighbourhoods, 68 cross threshold levels for all four pollution categories
8. Dulwich and West Norwood, London – out of 63 neighbourhoods, 53 cross threshold levels for all four pollution categories
9. Holborn and St. Pancras, London – out of 63 neighbourhoods, 53 cross threshold levels for all four pollution categories
10. Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North, Birmingham – out of 69 neighbourhoods, 57 cross threshold levels for all four pollution categories

Species that are a hallmark of a healthy environment such as otters, dippers, Atlantic salmon and mayflies have ‘little protection against the raw sewage, toxic chemicals and slurry’ that is being pumped into their habitats over 1,000 times a day in some of the worst affected areas, FoE said. 

And as sewage spills into the river, excessive nutrients have made algal blooms rampant, which is sucking the oxygen out of the water and is choking fish and other wildlife.  

However, it isn’t just animals that are facing the devastating consequences of pollution. The report reveals that air pollution is linked to 25,000 human deaths annually, and it is especially dangerous for children, whose lungs are still developing, older people and those with chronic respiratory or heart conditions.  

Friends of the Earth calls for the government to enshrine the right to a healthy environment in a new Environmental Rights Act with the aim to hold regulators and public bodies to account over the multiple layers of pollution. 

Neighbourhoods in London have been revealed as pollution hotspots (Picture: Getty)

Sienna Somers, nature campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: ‘Successive governments have failed to protect our environment from pollution and ensure people can continue to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of thriving nature.

‘That’s why we’ve ranked pollution hotspots based on constituencies, so citizens and MPs alike can see how pollution impacts their local area and take action.

‘What harms wildlife often harms people as well. Many of us are forced to breathe the same dirty air and live near sewage-infested rivers. While we can choose to avoid these polluted waters, many precious species cannot steer clear of the pollution we pump into their living rooms.’

She added that polluters should be held accountable for any harm they cause and should be forced to clean it up.

She said: ‘Stronger laws to hold polluters accountable would also give power back to communities to defend our rights in court, creating a cleaner and healthier environment for wildlife and people alike

Closing the Gender Pay Gap “Once and for All”: Labour’s Proposed Reforms to GPG Reporting in the UK



by Alex Patrick | Sep 4, 2024

The UK’s gender pay gap (GPG) has been declining over time, falling from 27.5% in 1997 to 14.3% in 2023. Nevertheless, at the current rate of decline, it will take at least another 20 years to close the GPG. In the lead-up to the recent election, then Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves promised that a Labour government would close the GPG “once and for all.” This ambitious pledge was backed by a series of policy changes outlined in Labour’s election manifesto, including amendments to the current GPG reporting scheme. While these reforms have the potential to address some of the key shortcomings in the current system, their success will depend on effective oversight and enforcement—neither of which are clearly addressed in Labour’s plan.

The 2017 Gender Pay Gap Information Regulations make annual GPG reporting mandatory for employers with 250+ employees. Employers report on four metrics: the gender pay gap, gender proportions in pay quartiles, the bonus pay gap, and the proportions of men and women receiving bonuses. This data, which is publicly-accessible, is intended to help employers understand the causes of their GPG. Lawmakers expected the risk of reproach from employees, investors, consumers and the media would persuade employers to implement targeted policies to address those causes.

Nevertheless, various studies, including our own, have highlighted limitations to the Regulations, which inhibit employers’ understanding of the causes of their GPG. Labour’s election manifesto includes a commitment to introduce legislation within the first 100 days to implement its ‘Make Work Pay’ plan. This plan includes three key reforms to GPG reporting, which may go some way toward addressing these limitations.

Firstly, employers will be required to include outsourced workers in their reports. Currently, employers only report the pay of ‘full-pay employees’, which excludes those who are self-employed and those in the gig economy. Organisations that rely on gig workers have benefitted from their usually cheaper labour while also disguising the impact of this practice in their pay reports. The inclusion of outsourced workers would therefore provide a more accurate picture of pay inequality within organisations reliant on their work. However, employers could circumvent this requirement by simply not relying on outsourcing in April, the month in which pay data are captured.

Secondly, Labour intends to introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting alongside GPG reporting. As noted by the Fawcett Society, ‘women with multiple protected characteristics tend to experience greater gender pay gaps’, yet the Regulations do not currently give employers insight into the impact of employees’ intersecting characteristics on pay and career progression. Labour’s plans should allow employers to more thoroughly investigate the root causes of pay disparities, and ensure that additional barriers faced by employees with multiple protected characteristics are addressed. However, given that the previous government declined to introduce ethnicity pay reporting on the basis of challenges in developing an appropriate methodology for collecting and reporting data, the Labour government will have to consider carefully how this scheme can operate effectively.

Thirdly, employers will be required to publish and implement action plans to close their GPGs. Action plans are currently voluntary, and the Government Equalities Office estimates that approximately half of employers produced a plan to accompany their 2019 reports. Voluntary action is much more common among large, public-facing organisations at risk of scrutiny following the release of GPG data. For others, there is limited incentive for voluntary action, turning GPG reporting into a box-ticking exercise. Making action plans mandatory is therefore an important step forward. However, Labour must consider how to ensure that employers genuinely identify the causes of their GPG and commit to evidence-based actions that target those causes. Further, there appear to be no plans to sanction organisations that fail to implement their plans. The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s light touch enforcement action against employers who have breached the Regulations thus far does not inspire hope that it could also compel employers to reduce their GPGs.

While other limitations to the Regulations remain, these proposed reforms are a promising step forward. By including outsourced workers and introducing mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting, employers should gain a more comprehensive understanding of their pay gaps. However, the success of these reforms will hinge on employers’ implementation of robust action plans and effective enforcement mechanisms to ensure meaningful progress towards pay equality.

About Alex Patrick
Alex Patrick is a Lecturer in Law at Middlesex University, where she researches the role of pay transparency in eliminating pay discrimination.

ABOLISH CONVERSION THERAPY

Concern as Scottish Government favours UK-wide ban on conversion therapy

Ross Hunter
Wed 4 September 2024 


Scottish First Minister John Swinney during the annual Pride parade in Edinburgh (Image: Jane Barlow)

THE Scottish Government has said it may drop its proposed ban on conversion practices in Scotland in favour of backing UK-wide legislation.

The First Minister John Swinney delivered his first Programme for Government at Holyrood on Wednesday.

It stated that while it was committed to ending conversion practices in Scotland, the legislation would only be brought forward "should a UK-wide approach not be achievable".

"Progressing our commitment to ending conversion practices in Scotland and work towards complementary approaches across the UK," it said.

"We will prepare legislation for introduction to the Scottish Parliament should a UK-wide approach not be achievable.

"By strengthening the support and services available to victims and survivors of conversion practices, we will ensure inclusivity is at the heart of everything we do.”

Since coming to power in July, Labour have said they will prepare legislation for a ban on conversion practices, which includes transgender people.

A public consultation on banning conversion practices in Scotland closed in April.

The proposed law sought to criminalise practices which are "undertaken with the intention to change or suppress the sexual orientation or gender identity of another person".

However, some religious bodies and gender critical campaign groups expressed concern about the legislation claiming that it would criminalise concerned parents or religious leaders.

The Scottish Greens have expressed concern that there was no commitment to progress Scotland's own ban on conversion therapy.

John Swinney marched with a banner which read End Conversion Practices during this year's Edinburgh Pride (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)

Indeed, the party said that LGBT+ Scots simply did not trust the UK Government.

“This is a deeply disappointing decision by the SNP, and a sad day for equalities in our country," said Greens MSP Maggie Chapman.

"For three years, the SNP has been promising people that a comprehensive Scottish ban would be introduced and many will be devastated that they are going back on their word and kicking the can further down the road.

“There is no reason for this legislation to be outsourced to Westminster or for us to sign up to a process that we know will not only lead to significant delays but could end up going nowhere. Scottish voices would have limited influence and there are a lot of LGBTQIA+ people who simply do not trust the UK government.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer panned over 'calamitous' drop in popularity ratings

"Scotland has the power to ban these practices now. We don't need to wait for Westminster to do it for us.

"I urge the First Minister to reconsider this decision and to uphold the promise that he and his colleagues made - repeatedly - to introduce a watertight, comprehensive ban for Scotland.”

Speaking during the open debate following the Programme for Government, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie also expressed concern about the move away from Scotland's own ban on conversion therapy.

However, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Somerville said work would continue on Scotland's own ban in the event of UK-wide legislation falling through.

She said: "The Scottish Government continues to work on a Scottish bill on ending conversion practices.

"We do hope to take it forward in a four nations approach but if that is not possible the work is continuing.

"The pace has not changed and we will continue that work."

LGBT+ charity the Equality Network said it was "disappointed" not to see Scotland's own legislation progress immediately.

A statement published on X/Twitter said: "While there may be benefits to a four nations approach, such as the ability to regulate professions and advertising, these benefits do not make up for the downsides of waiting for a Westminster Bill - namely, ScotGov losing control of the Bill's content and timeline for progress.

"It is essential that all of the hard work that has been done toward the Scottish Government bill is not lost in the process of working with, or waiting for, Westminster.

"It is also crucial that, having invested in developing good proposals providing comprehensive protection for the whole community, that exploring a cross-UK approach does not mean that the Scottish Government will settle for weaker protections and less-inclusive proposals."

Conversion therapy ban and human rights bill kicked into long grass


The Scottish Government has effectively shelved its plan to ban conversion therapy 


by Louise Wilson
04 September 2024
@louisewilso

The Scottish Government has paused plans to bring forward a ban on LGBT+ conversion therapy and instead hopes to back UK Government legislation.

Ministers have also delayed plans to enshrine various human rights covenants, including on disabled people and a right to food, into Scots law.

Both pieces of legislation had been anticipated in this year’s programme for government, having been subject to consultations and other stakeholder engagement, but failed to appear in the list of bills to be brought forward.

Instead, the government had said it will “continue to develop proposals” in both areas.

On conversion therapy, the document makes clear ministers would prefer a UK-wide approach and will only introduce Scottish legislation if that is “not achievable”.

On the human rights bill, it says ministers “remain committed” to the legislation - but by not introducing it this year, it is unlikely to be able to pass a bill before the 2026 Holyrood election.

Campaigners for the conversion therapy ban have said this stalling is a “betrayal of LGBTQ+ people”, while the Scottish Human Rights Commission said it was “deeply disappointed”.

In a statement, the End Conversion Therapy Scotland group said: “What we see with this programme for government is a step backwards form a dedication to deliver a bill on the principles set out by the expert advisory group and instead one of waiting to see what it deliver by Westminster – an approach we have seen is far more likely to leave the most vulnerable in our community behind.”

The Equality Network has expressed concern UK Government proposals would offer weaker protections. Erin Lux, policy coordinator, said: “The Scottish Government would surely have far more influence and ability to end these practices in the most comprehensive and effective way if it chose to legislate here in Scotland.”

Professor Angela O’Hagan, chair of the SHRC, said: “Abandoning [the human rights] bill denies people access to justice to ensure their human rights are fully realised, from a safe home to decent food and good health and social care… The moment to strengthen everyone’s human rights in law in Scotland is now – and should not be put on hold.”

Delivering his first programme for government as first minister, John Swinney committed to eradicating child poverty through early intervention measures, “whole family support” and by enabling “greater economic participation” from families.

He said: “Our goal is to lift every child in Scotland who is in poverty out of it. So we must do more – we know that we cannot address child poverty without addressing family poverty.”

But with regards to funding, the first minister only said ministers would “consider where greater investment is needed”.

The statement was delivered the day after finance secretary Shona Robison was forced to cut public services by £500m to balance the books.

The Child Poverty Action Group has welcomed the focus on the issue, but director John Dickie said the words must be backed up with cash.

He said ministers were already “falling behind in resourcing the childcare, housing and employment actions” and called for “more use of the devolved tax powers” to generate money needed deliver on the policy objects.

He also urged the UK Government “step up to the plate”.

Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross said the first minister’s statement today and Robison’s statement on Tuesday proved the government was “out of ideas and out of money”.

He said: “The programme for government is desperately short of firm commitments because their own mismanagement – in the form of wasteful public spending and a high-tax, low-growth economy – has forced the SNP to impose savage spending cuts to fill a huge financial black hole.”

Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar said the Scottish Government had “lost its way”.

He said: “Scotland needed a programme for government that recognised the scale of the challenges facing our country – stagnating growth, record long NHS waiting lists, falling education standards, rising levels of drug deaths, and a housing emergency. But instead, we have an SNP Government with no vision, no strategy and no plan.”

The Scottish Greens have accused the government of selling out future generations. This is the first programme for government in four years the party has not been involved in.

Co-leader Lorna Slater said: “By slashing public spending, particularly on our journey to net zero, the SNP are selling out our future.

“It is a betrayal of the green change that we need and an abdication of our responsibility to tackle the climate emergency. Words are not enough. They are taking us backwards.”

And on the shelving on the conversion therapy ban, the party’s equalities spokesperson Maggie Chapman added: “There is no reason for this legislation to be outsourced to Westminster or for us to sign up to a process that we know will not only lead to significant delays but could end up going nowhere.”

The programme for government sets out 14 bills the government will seek to introduce this parliamentary year, adding to the 12 already undergoing scrutiny.

These include legislation to modernise current laws on adults with incapacity, to create a new building safety levy which will support the cladding remediation programme, and to alter climate change targets follow confirmation that existing interim targets would not be met.

The long-awaited Heat in Buildings Bill, which seeks to decarbonise heating systems as part of the journey to net zero, has been confirmed, as has a bill to create new offences related to misogyny.

The first minister also announced £600m would be made available to increase affordable housing stock, including by bringing existing homes back into use, while amendments to the existing Housing Bill would seek to strengthen planned rent control laws.

On health, he said his government would deliver reforms to primary care by the end of 2026 and aim to meet targets for child and adolescent mental health waiting times by the end of next year.

A review of Creative Scotland was announced and the first minister confirmed cash had been made available for the body to reopen a funding stream for individuals.

The government is also to amend the Scottish Ministerial Code in a bid to improve trust in government. The new guidance will be published by the end of the year and will allow independent advisors to launch investigations where they believe it is merited.

At present, only the first minister can instruct such investigations to take place.

Holyrood Newsle

‘Cough up’—striking NHS workers’ message to Labour

Day surgery nurses at two south London hospitals are striking over imposed shift changes

Protesting in central London outside the Department for Health on Wednesday

 (Picture: Socialist Worker)

By Thomas Foster
Wednesday 04 September 2024

SOCIALIST WORKER

The NHS is in crisis—and bosses are making workers pay for it. But Unite union members at Guy’s and St Thomas’s hospitals in south London are fighting back.

Day surgery nurses struck over workloads on Tuesday and Wednesday and were set to strike on Thursday against bosses’ plans to extend their shifts from 8pm to 9pm.

Around 25 health workers from the two hospitals protested outside the Department of Health and Social Care in central London on Wednesday. Only a few years ago, bosses extended shifts from 7pm to 8pm and added Saturday working.

A day surgery nurse said, “It’s not our job to work ourselves to the bone. The NHS trust needs to cough up money for more staff and Labour needs to cough up the money too.

“Labour health secretary Wes Streeting isn’t delivering enough funding for the NHS.”

Workers are demanding that bosses abandon their plans to extend shifts.

Hospital bosses “are extending our work time but not changing how many patients we deal with or the number of operations a day”, one said. “And the managers aren’t extending their time—nothing else is changing. It’s an inequality and unfair.”

Another day surgery nurse told Socialist Worker, “People don’t want to be leaving at 9pm or 10pm. They have families to look after and the late finish isn’t suitable for that.

A different nurse added, “Lots of nurses live outside of London, such as in Kent, or look after elderly parents.”

“And a 9pm shift finish doesn’t guarantee leaving at 9pm. It will likely mean 9:30pm or 10pm.”

He also said, “The majority of staff are migrants and with all the racist attacks going on we don’t feel safe to go home that late.”

Poverty pay and heavy workloads mean many workers leave—which makes the shifting crisis worse.

But so far, hospital bosses “still aren’t agreeing to our demands,” one nurse said.

“They haven’t conceded anything so we are staying out here fighting.”

A primary school teacher in south London who came to support the strike said, “A rising tide raises all boats—workers need to be supporting each other.

“The colour of the government has changed from blue to red but the politics hasn’t changed much.”

A health worker and Unite rep in the area, said, “Labour needs to tax the rich and invest more money into the NHS. Instead it wants to make savings by making us work harder and longer.”

He said that his own trust is carrying out a recruitment freeze. “But we are already overwhelmed and at breaking point,” he said.

“We need to stand up in our unions, organise in the NHS and fight back. We deserve to be valued more than this”.

UK-administered International Fund for Ukraine passes £1 billion milestone

4th September 2024 - 16:30 GMT | by The Shephard News TeamRSS

Ukraine’s defence secretary met his UK opposite number in London to mark the milestone and push forward with new defence deals.

Ukraine’s defence secretary met his UK counterpart in London to mark a milestone in international military support spending for Ukraine's war of resistance against invasion by Russia.

Rustem Umerov’s visit marked the passing of the £1 billion point (US$1.3 billion) in military support for Ukraine, with eight countries joining the UK in the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU). The UK has single-handedly contributed £500 million to the fund.

Sir Keir Starmer, the UK’s relatively new Prime Minister, announced the IFU’s largest support package for Ukraine at the NATO Summit in July including a £300 million contract to supply 152mm artillery shells to supply Ukraine’s Soviet-era guns. He also confirmed £3 billion of UK aid for Ukraine per year for “as long as it takes”, even in the face of a reputed “£22 billion black hole” in the UK’s public finances which the government said it has discovered since taking office in July. The £3 billion annual donation is thought to be outside the remit of any domestic defence spending cuts announced by the former UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt in October last year.

European NATO countries reach average defence spending requirement and renew Ukrainian support

The £300 million artillery shell contract has now been signed and will be expected to deliver thousands of shells before the end of the year.

Denmark, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Norway all confirmed their intent this summer to invest additional money in the Fund to buy more drones to help on the frontline, as well as vital air defence capabilities.

UK defence secretary John Healey said: “The ongoing defensive operation in Kursk underlines the crucial importance of continued support and today’s milestone for the International Fund for Ukraine shows the value of working with our allies to deliver that support.”

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JUST SAY NO!

Britain commits to four new Trident missile submarines

An artists impression of the currently in-build Dreadnought.Sea

By George Allison
- September 4, 2024

The UK Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the nuclear deterrent during Defence Secretary John Healey’s recent visit to a Vanguard-class submarine returning from patrol.

This marks Healey’s first official engagement in Scotland since taking office and highlights the government’s ongoing dedication to maintaining the country’s nuclear capabilities.

The government’s ‘triple lock’ includes three key promises:Building four new nuclear submarines at Barrow-in-Furness, which will support high-quality apprenticeships and jobs across the country.
Maintaining a continuous at-sea deterrent to ensure protection for the UK and NATO allies, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Delivering future upgrades to keep the submarines ready to patrol and protect national security.

During his visit, Healey expressed appreciation for the crew of 140 submariners and he reiterated the government’s commitment to the nuclear deterrent:

“Royal Navy submariners make extraordinary sacrifices to keep us all safe and it was an honour to thank the crew on behalf of the British people. As they return home, we salute their courage, dedication, and professionalism. Our new Government is unwavering in our commitment to our nuclear deterrent, maintained on behalf of the UK and our NATO allies. Our ‘triple-lock’ will safeguard Britain for generations to come.

As the home of our nuclear submarines and major shipbuilding yards, Scotland is central to UK defence. I am determined to make defence a foundation for jobs, growth and prosperity across Scotland.”

The mission, known as Operation Relentless, ensures that at least one nuclear-powered and armed submarine is always on patrol, deterring potential nuclear threats.

The Ministry of Defence said in a news release:

“The name of the vessel, length of patrol, and its location at sea are all closely guarded secrets. On board, only a select few are authorised to know where in the ocean depths they are operating, with the rest of the crew dutifully carrying out their roles unaware of their location.

It is this secrecy that makes the nuclear deterrent so effective. A potential enemy can never predict where a Vanguard Class is operating, making the cost of attacking the UK or NATO allies far outweigh the benefits.”

The UK has maintained a continuous nuclear deterrent for over 55 years, and preparations are underway at HM Naval Base Clyde for the new Dreadnought Class submarines, set to replace the Vanguard submarines by the 2030s.

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