The Labour Government: The Inheritance of Polaris and Anglo-US Nuclear Relations, 1964–1966

Abstract

Fiery the Angels rose, and as they rose deep thunder roll’d, Around their shores: indignant burning with the fires of Orc, And Boston’s Angel cried aloud as they flew thro’ the dark night.

William Blake, America: A Prophecy (1793)

William Blake was speaking of the first great fire of Boston in 1760 but his elegant prose also finds its echoes two hundred years later in Britain’s procurement of a weapon of war – the US Polaris system. This chapter will set out to examine why Polaris was not cancelled by Harold Wilson’s first government, a decision which led to its adoption as the British strategic deterrent in 1969. It will then move on to discuss the state of the programme when Labour assumed office. It will detail why there was a serious question mark over the number of submarines, what discussions were taking place regarding Polaris deployment East of Suez and how these could impact upon its command and control (C²) procedures.