22:
98:
In the event of the deaths of both the prime minister and the designated alternative decision-maker as a result of a nuclear strike, the commander(s) of any nuclear submarine(s) on patrol at the time would use a series of checks to ascertain whether the letters of last resort must be opened.
177:
reported in 2016 that the options are said to include: "Put yourself under the command of the United States, if it is still there", "Go to
Australia", "Retaliate", or "Use your own judgement". The actual option chosen remains known only to the writer of the letter.
625:
78:
If the letters are not used during the term of the prime minister who wrote them, they are destroyed unopened after that person leaves office, so that their content remains unknown to anyone except the issuer.
373:
482:
786:
776:
622:
673:
59:
and has also killed or otherwise incapacitated both the prime minister and their designated "second person" of responsibility, typically a high-ranking member of the
95:
could cause". The documents are then delivered to the submarines in sealed envelopes, and the previous prime minister's letters are destroyed without being opened.
88:
64:
415:
very prime minister in recent years has written such a letter and ... letters that go unused (Tony Blair's for instance) are destroyed without being read.
509:
193:
deals with the consequences and paradoxes of the letters. The play was first staged in
February 2012 as a part of a cycle of plays on "The Bomb" at the
321:. Each missile has a range of 7,000 miles (11,000 km), and can carry 12 independently controlled warheads each capable of destroying a large city.
143:, there were four known options given to the prime minister to include in the letters. The prime minister might instruct the submarine commander to:
771:
539:
263:
330:
In the immediate aftermath of a Prime
Minister leaving office, letters on board submarines at sea remain valid until they can be exchanged.
318:
44:
566:
431:
131:
submarines was to open the envelopes if there was an evident nuclear attack, or if all UK naval broadcasts had ceased for four hours.
722:
533:"Arrangements for briefing a new Prime Minister in the event of a change of administration following the 1983 General Election"
120:
commander would determine if the
British government continues to function includes, amongst other checks, establishing whether
743:
60:
72:
532:
781:
258:
314:
to provide its nuclear deterrent. At least one submarine is always armed and on active service, carrying up to 16
791:
457:
278:
796:
308:
111:
68:
48:
268:
230:
186:
374:"Every new British prime minister pens a handwritten 'letter of last resort' outlining nuclear retaliation"
224:
The KGB's attempts to obtain the contents of the letters of last resort are part of the plot of the BBC
139:
While the contents of these letters are secret, according to the
December 2008 BBC Radio 4 documentary
248:
128:
87:
A new prime minister writes a set of letters immediately after taking office and being told by the
56:
25:
597:
574:
605:
160:
place the submarine under an allied country's command, if possible. The documentary mentions
633:
283:
214:
210:
194:
21:
629:
92:
543:
206:
148:
103:
52:
765:
273:
165:
71:. If the orders are carried out, the action taken could be the last official act of
202:
198:
173:
701:
253:
218:
121:
510:"Letters Of Last Resort Are Post-Apocalyptic Orders for UK Vanguard Sub Crews"
315:
609:
646:
243:
161:
117:
350:
225:
674:"The Game recap: series one, episode two – Operation Glass is revealed"
288:
16:
Orders for action in the event of a nuclear attack on UK government
399:
20:
483:"Theresa May's grim first task: Preparing for nuclear armageddon"
264:
Nuclear weapons and the United
Kingdom § Nuclear weapons control
217:
later the same year. The following year it was broadcast on
432:"Theresa May's first job: decide on UK's nuclear response"
51:. They contain orders on what action to take if an enemy
43:
are four identically worded handwritten letters from the
221:, with the same cast, first transmitted on 1 June 2013.
35:-class submarines comprising the UK's nuclear deterrent.
425:
423:
205:
playing the role of the incoming prime minister and
209:, her advisor. The production was also seen at the
623:Edinburgh Transfer: The Letter of Last Resort
458:"May To Be Handed Keys To Nuclear Red Button"
8:
108:The Secret State: Whitehall and the Cold War
787:United Kingdom nuclear command and control
777:Emergency management in the United Kingdom
596:Billington, Michael (21 February 2012).
430:Norton-Taylor, Richard (11 July 2016).
342:
300:
47:to the commanding officers of the four
319:submarine-launched ballistic missiles
7:
49:British ballistic missile submarines
45:prime minister of the United Kingdom
351:"Brown move to cut UK nuclear subs"
744:"399: Contents Unknown (Prologue)"
565:Grieg, David (30 September 2015).
508:Rogoway, Tyler (1 February 2017).
456:Bunkall, Alistair (13 July 2016).
307:The United Kingdom relies on four
14:
721:Rosenbaum, Ron (9 January 2009).
647:"Saturday Drama, The Last Resort"
772:Cabinet Office (United Kingdom)
398:Rosenbaum, Ron (January 2009).
742:Glass, Ira (22 January 2010).
531:Goodall, David (26 May 1983).
1:
542:) (published 1 August 2013).
372:Taylor, Adam (13 July 2016).
353:. BBC News. 23 September 2009
157:use their own judgement; or,
723:"The Letter of Last Resort"
672:Frost, Vicky (7 May 2015).
400:"The Letter of Last Resort"
127:In 1983, the procedure for
813:
259:Mutual assured destruction
89:Chief of the Defence Staff
279:Trident nuclear programme
191:The Letter of Last Resort
110:, the process by which a
91:"precisely what damage a
124:continues broadcasting.
73:His Majesty's Government
69:first secretary of state
567:"Letter of Last Resort"
269:Operation Looking Glass
197:in London, directed by
55:has both destroyed the
213:in Edinburgh, for the
41:letters of last resort
36:
65:deputy prime minister
24:
628:10 July 2017 at the
598:"The Bomb – review"
748:This American Life
702:"The Human Button"
57:British government
37:
782:Letters (message)
708:. 2 December 2008
312:-class submarines
249:Dead man's switch
804:
792:Nuclear strategy
758:
756:
754:
737:
735:
733:
717:
715:
713:
689:
688:
686:
684:
669:
663:
662:
660:
658:
643:
637:
634:Tricycle Theatre
620:
614:
613:
593:
587:
586:
584:
582:
573:. Archived from
562:
556:
555:
553:
551:
537:
528:
522:
521:
519:
517:
505:
499:
498:
496:
494:
479:
473:
472:
470:
468:
453:
447:
446:
444:
442:
427:
418:
417:
412:
410:
395:
389:
388:
386:
384:
369:
363:
362:
360:
358:
347:
331:
328:
322:
305:
284:Nuclear football
215:Edinburgh Fringe
211:Traverse Theatre
195:Tricycle Theatre
141:The Human Button
812:
811:
807:
806:
805:
803:
802:
801:
797:Nuclear secrecy
762:
761:
752:
750:
741:
740:Radio archive:
731:
729:
720:
711:
709:
700:
697:
692:
682:
680:
671:
670:
666:
656:
654:
645:
644:
640:
630:Wayback Machine
621:
617:
595:
594:
590:
580:
578:
571:frontstep.co.uk
564:
563:
559:
549:
547:
535:
530:
529:
525:
515:
513:
507:
506:
502:
492:
490:
481:
480:
476:
466:
464:
455:
454:
450:
440:
438:
429:
428:
421:
408:
406:
397:
396:
392:
382:
380:
378:Washington Post
371:
370:
366:
356:
354:
349:
348:
344:
340:
335:
334:
329:
325:
306:
302:
297:
240:
184:
149:nuclear weapons
147:retaliate with
137:
93:Trident missile
85:
17:
12:
11:
5:
810:
808:
800:
799:
794:
789:
784:
779:
774:
764:
763:
760:
759:
738:
718:
696:
695:External links
693:
691:
690:
664:
638:
615:
588:
577:on 28 May 2017
557:
523:
500:
489:. 15 July 2016
474:
448:
419:
404:Slate Magazine
390:
364:
341:
339:
336:
333:
332:
323:
299:
298:
296:
293:
292:
291:
286:
281:
276:
271:
266:
261:
256:
251:
246:
239:
236:
207:Simon Chandler
183:
180:
170:
169:
158:
155:
154:not retaliate;
152:
136:
133:
104:Peter Hennessy
84:
81:
53:nuclear strike
31:, one of four
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
809:
798:
795:
793:
790:
788:
785:
783:
780:
778:
775:
773:
770:
769:
767:
749:
745:
739:
728:
724:
719:
707:
703:
699:
698:
694:
679:
675:
668:
665:
653:. 1 June 2013
652:
648:
642:
639:
636:, August 2012
635:
631:
627:
624:
619:
616:
611:
607:
603:
599:
592:
589:
576:
572:
568:
561:
558:
545:
541:
534:
527:
524:
511:
504:
501:
488:
484:
478:
475:
463:
459:
452:
449:
437:
433:
426:
424:
420:
416:
405:
401:
394:
391:
379:
375:
368:
365:
352:
346:
343:
337:
327:
324:
320:
317:
313:
311:
304:
301:
294:
290:
287:
285:
282:
280:
277:
275:
274:Samson Option
272:
270:
267:
265:
262:
260:
257:
255:
252:
250:
247:
245:
242:
241:
237:
235:
233:
232:
227:
222:
220:
216:
212:
208:
204:
200:
196:
192:
189:'s 2012 play
188:
181:
179:
176:
175:
167:
166:United States
163:
159:
156:
153:
150:
146:
145:
144:
142:
134:
132:
130:
125:
123:
119:
116:
114:
109:
105:
102:According to
100:
96:
94:
90:
82:
80:
76:
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
54:
50:
46:
42:
34:
30:
29:
23:
19:
751:. Retrieved
747:
730:. Retrieved
726:
710:. Retrieved
705:
681:. Retrieved
678:The Guardian
677:
667:
655:. Retrieved
650:
641:
618:
602:The Guardian
601:
591:
579:. Retrieved
575:the original
570:
560:
548:. Retrieved
526:
514:. Retrieved
503:
491:. Retrieved
486:
477:
465:. Retrieved
461:
451:
439:. Retrieved
436:The Guardian
435:
414:
407:. Retrieved
403:
393:
381:. Retrieved
377:
367:
355:. Retrieved
345:
326:
309:
303:
229:
223:
203:Belinda Lang
199:Nicolas Kent
190:
185:
174:The Guardian
172:
171:
140:
138:
126:
112:
107:
101:
97:
86:
77:
63:such as the
40:
38:
32:
27:
18:
753:10 February
732:10 February
712:10 February
706:BBC Radio 4
683:14 November
651:BBC Radio 4
550:5 September
512:. The Drive
254:Fail-deadly
219:BBC Radio 4
187:David Greig
122:BBC Radio 4
766:Categories
581:6 February
516:3 December
357:24 January
338:References
316:Trident II
228:spy drama
610:0261-3077
295:Footnotes
244:Dead Hand
162:Australia
118:submarine
626:Archived
487:Politico
462:Sky News
409:18 March
310:Vanguard
238:See also
234:(2014).
231:The Game
226:Cold War
164:and the
113:Vanguard
106:'s book
33:Vanguard
28:Vigilant
546:196/124
493:15 July
467:13 July
441:13 July
383:13 July
201:, with
182:Fiction
135:Options
129:Polaris
83:Process
67:or the
61:Cabinet
657:1 June
608:
289:Cheget
115:-class
727:Slate
536:(PDF)
755:2015
734:2015
714:2015
685:2018
659:2013
606:ISSN
583:2022
552:2013
518:2018
495:2016
469:2016
443:2016
411:2012
385:2016
359:2011
39:The
26:HMS
544:CAB
540:TNA
768::
746:.
725:.
704:.
676:.
649:.
632:,
604:.
600:.
569:.
538:.
485:.
460:.
434:.
422:^
413:.
402:.
376:.
75:.
757:.
736:.
716:.
687:.
661:.
612:.
585:.
554:.
520:.
497:.
471:.
445:.
387:.
361:.
168:.
151:;
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
