Liam Fox says Trident nuclear delays will cost £1.4bn

The four-year delay in replacing the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrence system could cost up to £1.4 billion, according to decence secratery Liam Fox.

However he added that there was no way to know whether making replacement or maintaining the current program would cost more.

This comes amid claims that PM David Cameron is trying to appease Liberal Democrats by incurring additional spending.

Meanwhile Labour party officials have made accusations that the Prime minister is putting the UK’s national security at risk for the sake of politics.

The news follows Mr Cameron’s announcement last month that the UK’s current nuclear detterent Vanguard subs would remain in service until 2028, meaning that the new set would be delayed by four years.

The Government said the delay would be a significant investment.

The PM’s decision had stabilised his relationship with the coalition following the recent irreversible decision on Trident. The next decision will not take place until after 2015’s general election.

Liberal democrats say that they will take an anti-Trident stance in the upcoming election.

Meanwhile Mr Fox, who has been less than supportive of the current coalition, said that he hoped the next government would be a conservative majority.