The Letter of Doom Never knew about this, quite interesting... http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,2113203,00.html After the pomp and ceremony of his departure from Buckingham Palace, his speech on the doorstep at No 10, and a partial reshuffle, Gordon Brown's role as prime minister began with an onerous and somewhat sobering task. Tony Blair, when faced with the duty, immediately went white in the face, said onlookers. John Major couldn't face it: he went home for the weekend. As prime minister, with ultimate responsibility for Britain's nuclear deterrent, Mr Brown has to write a letter, in his own hand, giving instructions detailing what the UK's response should be in the event of a pre-emptive nuclear attack. The letter will be opened only by the commander of a British Trident submarine, who would have to assume that the prime minister was no longer in a position to take "live" command of the situation. The options are said to include the orders: "Put yourself under the command of the US, if it is still there"; "go to Australia"; "retaliate"; "or use your own judgment". Each new prime minister writes the letter as soon as he or she takes office after being "indoctrinated" by the chief of the defence staff, who explains precisely what damage a Trident missile could cause. The letter is destroyed when they leave office. According to Peter Hennessy, professor of contemporary history at Queen Mary, London University, Mr Blair "went white" on being receiving his briefing. "The nuclear bit shakes them all. Then you realise you are prime minister, at a deeper level," he said. Though nothing is known of Mr Blair's written instruction, James Callaghan is said to have authorised retaliation. When John Major had to make the decision, he cancelled a weekend at Chequers and went home to Huntingdon. Mr Brown's orders would be sent by special low frequency or satellite communications to the submarine commander. They would first be verified by two officials in the Cabinet Office, and then two at the armed forces' permanent joint headquarters in Northwood, north-west London. Mr Brown's new job allows him to summon whenever he wants the heads of MI5 and MI6, the chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee, and the chief of the defence staff, Sir Jock Stirrup. They, in turn, now have direct access to Britain's new leader.
My inside source (i.e. Mr B on NECL) saying November is on the cards as they hope that Brown will still be riding on the positive public image wave
Not that the torys are any better, but it shows something when pretty much soon after getting power (unelected as well), that theres mumblings of a general election....... cause he knows there aint good times ahead for the UK. Brown will suffer a john major style fall from grace - the current new labour lot only got into power due to tony blairs 'charisma' and the backing that the country gave him on that basis .... its a shame but the theif Brown just aint got that. Next time the wheels wobble on the new labour train, they might stay off this time.
the mumblings of a general election are coming from the tory press:fart: I never trusted tony blair and the fact that he was able to retire with a standing ovation after the Iraq fiasco is disgusting. he should be in the war crimes court at the Haig. Gordon Brown seems to have just as strong an authoritarian streak as TB so can't see him being any better. As far as a tory government goes we have had one for the last 10 years, thats been the problem. TB just followed Thatchers agenda and now Cameroon is following TB's. If elections changed anything they wouldn't let us vote.
Re: The Letter of Doom I wonder what happens if they have all been nuked? Personally I can't beleive it would be morally right to murder millions of innocent people whatever had happened, so my instruction would be 'drop the tridents to the bottom of the ocean, and go and do something useful with the rest of your life'
Re: Re: The Letter of Doom Totally, but on the other hand I don't want anyone with nuclear missiles pointed at us thinking that we wouldn't retaliate.
