Today, defence secretary Michael Fallon faced questions in the House of Commons over claims that a Trident missile test failed in June.
Questioned on Sunday by Andrew Marr, British prime minister Theresa May refused to admit she had known about the failed test before the parliamentary vote to spend £40bn on new Trident submarines.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
.@AndrewMarr9 asks Theresa May four times about a reported Trident misfire #marr https://t.co/bQsOVlPOCe pic.twitter.com/f64rbcHVCn
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) 23 January 2017
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataEarlier today, however, Downing Street released an official statement, revealing that May was told about the missile veering off course.
Labour MP and former defence minister Kevan Jones probed Fallon for further details on exactly when the government knew about the failed test.
Fallon declined to provide further information, citing “national security considerations” as the reason why.
Shadow defence secertary Nia Griffith accused the government of a “cover up,” insisting that information was “deliberately kept from the British public.”
Labour MP Conor McGinn echoed the sentiment on Twitter.
Tory Govt hiding behind “secrecy” re Trident missile test despite details appearing in a Sunday newspaper. Parliament should have been told.
— Conor McGinn MP (@ConorMcGinn) 23 January 2017
Other high profile figures took to the social media platform to voice their concerns and lack of trust in the government.
Terrible to think a Trident missile could malfunction and incinerate millions of the wrong civilians
— Frankie Boyle (@frankieboyle) 23 January 2017
Trident missile veering off course towards Florida was successful test says Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. Hate to think what’s a failure
— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) 23 January 2017
Crispin Blunt, the only Conservative MP who voted against the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system said that parliament should have been made aware of the missile failure before MPs voted on such a significant issue.
