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Brown Eyes Nuke Bank, Will Cut Sub Fleet

British PM seeks reductions, but rejects complete nuclear disarmament

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 23, 2009 7:40 AM CDT

(Newser) – Gordon Brown takes the stage at the United Nations today with an eye toward nuclear disarmament, reports the BBC, and he'll begin by offering to cut Britain's fleet of Trident nuclear submarines from four to three. While the British PM maintains full nuclear disarmament isn't an option, in an op-ed in the New York Times today, he calls for "access to civil atomic energy via an international uranium bank for states that renounce current or future nuclear arms."

"We reject unilateral nuclear disarmament for ourselves precisely because the world cannot end up in a situation where responsible powers get rid of their weapons, but the danger of nuclear proliferation by other powers remains," Britain's foreign secretary said.

[Images (6)]

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Sailors are seen aboard the HMS Vanguard, in Holy Loch, Scotland. (AP Photo/PA, Chris Bacon, File)

A protest site at Scotland's Faslane Naval Base. (©monkeypuzzle)

British PM Gordon Brown and Japan's counterpart Yukio Hatoyama head to have a bilateral meeting at the United Nations headquarters Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Hiroshi Kawai, Japan Pool)

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown gestures during a media conference at a special EU summit at the EU Council building in Brussels, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown delivers his speech to delegates at the annual Trades Union Congress in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson/PA)

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown tours the production line of the new Vauxhall Astra, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009 in Ellesmere Port, England. ZZ (AP Photo/ Christopher Furlong, Pool)

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Moving from four subs to three frankly looks like tinkering at the edges. - British Liberal Democrat Edward Davey on Brown's proposed cut to the UK's submarine fleet

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Brown Eyes Nuke Bank, Will Cut Sub Fleet