HOLMES SLAMS GOVERNMENT OVER 'SON OF STAR WARS'

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 20th Nov 2007

Chesterfield MP Paul Holmes today criticised the government for allowing the United States to use United Kingdom land to house the Son of Star Wars missile defence system.

Speaking at Foreign Office Questions, Mr Holmes asked:

Is he aware that the US has spent over $100bn on this programme and yet it remains unproven? This is a system that is intended to provide security in the unforeseeable future, but is causing huge instability in the present. Is this not the most dangerous white elephant in history? How much will it cost the British taxpayer?

Commenting Paul Holmes MP said

"The British people have been signed up to this unilateral, destabilising missile defence programme with no public debate and no justification from the Prime Minister.

"The announcement was rushed out by way of a written statement just before the house rose for the summer recess. It runs counter to our national interest and we must play no further part without full multilateral agreement and must not simply continue to blindly follow the US."