Trident replacement 'not realistic'

A Government review will provide "credible" alternatives to the like-for-like replacement of Trident, a Cabinet minister said yesterday.

Liberal Democrat Danny Alexander, who has led the review, dismissed Tory demands for a new continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent as "not financially realistic". The Government is spending around £1.4bn on early design work for Trident replacement submarines, but the final decision about whether to go ahead is not due until after the general election.