A £1 BILLION contract to build two new submarine reactor cores has been branded an obscenity by the SNP.

The deal comes ahead of the 2016 decision on whether to replace the Trident fleet at the Faslane Naval Base. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the contract was necessary due to the long lead-in times for such work, but insisted it did not mean a decision had been taken on replacing Trident. The announcement is also likely to cause a rift in the UK Government.

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