Foreign relations 1951-64- Debates over the nuclear deterrent

The Labour government policy on nuclear deterrent

After the war, the Labour government commited Britain to developing an independent nuclear deterrent
The United States had stopped sharing its nuclear secrets with Britain so if Britain wanted to be a nuclear power, it would have to create its own weapons
The Labour foreign secretary, Bevin, stated 'We've got to have this thing over here whatever it costs'

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Churchill continued the Labour government policy of creating an independent nuclear deterrent in Britain
1952- Britain's first tests of the atomic bomb, made Britain the third country in the world to develop nuclear weapons after the United States and Soviet Union
However, by this point the United States and USSR were already developing the more powerful hydrogen bomb
Britain tested its first hydrogen bomb in 1957

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Concern over developments led to the formation of CND (Campaign for nuclear disarmament) 1958
Rapidly became most powerful pressure group in Britain, backed by intellectuals and middle-class protestors
Wanted Britain to reject nuclear weapons and follow a policy of unilateral nuclear disarmament
8000 people took part in a demonstration at the weapons research base in Berkshire 1958
A second march occurred in 1959 which was even bigger
CND's policy of 'unilateralism' became a magnet for anti-government protest and Labour left-wingers joined the marches

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The Mutual Defence agreement meant the United States had once again agreed to share nuclear technology with Britain
Britain's own rocket project, Blue Streak, was abandoned in 1960
Blue Streak was replaced by the American Polaris submarine weapons system
It became clear Britain would not have an independent nuclear deterrent which caused some in the Labour Party to become sceptical of supporting a pro-nuclear policy

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