A £20 billion plan to replace Trident submarines has been labelled "indefensible and obscene" by Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond.

Mr Salmond was speaking at a rally following a "Cut Trident Not Jobs" march in Edinburgh today. He told the 1000 people who had attended the rally:

"There is massive opposition to dumping a new generation of weapons of mass destruction in Scotland. The Scottish Parliament has voted against the 'son of Trident', a majority of Scottish MPs reject it, and it is going to be a central issue in the general election campaign.

"At a time when Westminster is imposing cuts in public services to deal with Labour's recession, with much deeper cuts planned in the future, and the Scottish Government's budget is falling in real terms for the first time since devolution, to waste £100 billion on weapons of mass destruction is indefensible and obscene.

"Any way you look at it - on moral, financial, or defence grounds - renewal of Trident is completely untenable, and I believe that position can prevail in the general election.

"The tide has well and truly turned on Trident - and the general election offers the opportunity to ensure that weapons of mass destruction are banished from Scotland forever."

The SNP government has been a consistent opponent of the nuclear programme and also wants ballistic missile submarines based in Scotland removed.

A wide range of organisations supported today's protest including peace groups, Church bodies, Trade Unionists and a number of politicians from a range of parties.

J B Moffatt (Mr) Director of Information Celtic League

13/03/10