I do not see the point of having an "independent deterrent" if we do not have a foreign policy, which is independent of the USA. It is an illusion - and a dangerous one at that - to imagine that Britain has the ability to "deter" aggression on its own. We are not able to use Trident without American permission anyway, certainly not politically and almost certainly not practically. We are therefore in the ridiculous position of being a perfectly legitimate nuclear target, while at the same time, we are not able to determine how our weaponry is used.
We need well armed, well trained armed forces. That way we can play our part in world affairs to protect our interests. All the nonsense about "independent deterrent" and "global player" serves only to endanger our security. We pay a lot of money for these dagerous illusions.