Letters of Last Resort - Process

Process

In the event of the death of the Prime Minister and the designated alternative decision-maker as a result of a nuclear strike, the commander(s) of the nuclear submarine(s) (of which there is always one on patrol) will use a series of checks to ascertain whether the letters of last resort will have to be opened. According to Peter Hennessy's book The Secret State: Whitehall and the Cold War, 1945 to 1970, the process by which a Trident submarine would determine if the British government continues to function includes, amongst other checks, establishing whether BBC Radio 4 continues broadcasting.

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