The SNP have today (Friday) welcomed the intervention of a group of retired senior military officers, who branded the Trident system “completely useless” and challenged the renewal of the nuclear deterrent.

In a letter to the Times, Field Marshal Lord Bramall and Generals Lord Ramsbotham and Sir Hugh Beach denounce Trident, described it as "irrelevant", and argue that rather than spending £20bn renewing the scheme, more funds should be spent on the armed forces.

SNP MSP for Glasgow and anti-trident campaigner Bill Kidd said: "It is not just defence chiefs that think the UK Government is wrong, but government's around the world, the people of Scotland and the Scottish Parliament.

"Around the world people are looking to Scotland to put a stop to the UK's irresponsible intentions.

"Civil society, trade unions, religious organisations and the Scottish Government are working together to keep a new generation of trident missiles out of Scotland's shores and the voice of the former defence chiefs only adds to that argument."

SNP Defence spokesperson, Angus Robertson MP, said: "This intervention lays bare the truth about the UK's weapons of mass destruction, and that even defence chiefs admit they are a useless waste of money.

"Coming from such eminent former military commanders this statement is all the more significant, and the UK Government is now completely surrounded by arguments against Trident and its renewal.

"Trident is frankly obscene, and in the current economic climate it must be obvious that these resources should be better spent.

"To build a "son of Trident" would be an act of immense irresponsibility by Gordon Brown.

"Instead of building new nuclear systems, the UK Government should take the lead in calling for an end to nuclear weapons by bringing an end to this shameful waste of resources."