Commenting on revelations in today's press that Tony Blair has already decided that Britain will build a new generation of nuclear weapons, Plaid Cymru described the plans as 'dangerous and ill-conceived'.

Ceredigion candidate and Plaid Cymru Policy Director Simon Thomas called Mr Blair a 'hypocrite' as the decision for new weapons of mass destruction appears to have been made ahead of a UN Conference in New York this week where Britain is due to discuss nuclear disarmament.

Speaking from his constituency, Mr Thomas said:

"This really is the most appalling hypocrisy from Blair - when his own government's representatives are in New York to talk about nuclear disarmament we learn that he's actually decided the UK will fork out £10bn on new Nuclear Weapons.

"Rather than spending billions on weapons of mass destruction, why not spend the money on schools, hospitals and on higher pensions?

"Plaid Cymru MPs in the next parliament will strenuously oppose plans for new nuclear weapons and hold the government to account on its international treaty commitments. These are not imagined weapons of mass destruction, they are very real indeed - and would make the world a far more dangerous place."

Plaid Cymru's Euro-MP and CND Cymru Chairperson Jill Evans MEP said:

"It's a tragic irony that having lied to start a war in Iraq based on bogus claims of WMD, Blair now wants to spend £10bn of taxpayers' money building his own very real version. The UK and other nuclear powers signed up to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and is supposedly committed to working towards nuclear disarmament.

"What kind of signal will today's revelations send to the so-called 'rogue states' said to be trying to acquire nuclear weapons? This is the worst kind of hypocrisy - Blair's dangerous plans must be exposed and halted."

And commenting on suggestions that Labour wants to announce new plans to increase the use of nuclear power within weeks of the election, Simon Thomas added:

"New Labour should come clean with the Welsh electorate. They have deliberately played down any use of nuclear energy in fear of scaring voters. But the fact that the Energy Minister is giving a key note address to a major nuclear industry conference in Wales, a mere two months after the General Election, is of great concern to us. If Labour intends to expand the use of nuclear power they must be honest with the electorate before the election and not after."

Ends

Note

The Energy Minister is scheduled to address the 'Fuel for Thought' conference on the future of the British Nuclear Industry which is to be held at the University of Wales, Caerleon in July.