GEORGE OSBORNE has announced future investment at the Faslane naval base – home to the UK’s Trident submarine fleet.

I agree that military preparations require long term planning and if submarines are going to be key to our defence then updating the base makes sense.

My doubts are over Trident because I did hope that this country was committed to the international treaty that, if followed in good faith, would lead to multilateral nuclear disarmament subject to verification of steps toward disarmament.

Mr Osborne is set to pre-empt any debate and intends to argue that any different approach than his would jeopardise jobs for workers in Clydeside.

He believes himself to be on an election winner because the Conservatives have always in the past relied on having a strong defence policy.

I don’t see nuclear weapons as anything but a last desperate means of bringing any enemy down with us if we are unable to defend ourselves militarily with conventional weapons.

To me sensible military strategy is to be able to wage a war with a prospect of victory and not mutually assured destruction which I had hoped had gone at the end of the Cold War.

Trident could be a bargaining chip but obviously this is not how George Osborne sees it.

G Bulmer, Billingham.