There are 3 factors that involve this; the 'MAD' threat (as when the MAD threat increased Britain spent more and opposition grew therefore the most important), dependancy on the USA was partially important (due to the fact that opposition did sometimes limit Britain's nuclear policy) and the least important factor which is cost and that is not important as the more Britain spent, public opposition didn't grow.

The perceived 'MAD' threat was the most important because as the Cold War became more dangerous towards Britain, they spent more on developing/buying nuclear weapons. Firstly, CND was established in 1958 out of concerns of the escalating arms race of the Cold War especially given that the Russians had just launched Sputnik and Britain had tested her own H bomb. An example of showing how CND gaining lots of support was that 150,000 people took part in the Aldermaston marches in 1960-61. Secondly, the Greenham's Women's Peace Camp protest that lasted from 1981-2000 shows that there was a clear illustration of mass public opposition to the threat posed by nuclear weapons as the peace camp was established to protest that nuclear weapons were being sited by RAF Greenham Common in Berkshire. Thirdly, there was an encircling of the base which occurred in December 1983, with 50,000 women attending and cutting sections of the fence, indicating the lengths the protestors were prepared to go to signify the strength of their opposition.. On the other hand, even when the threat of the Cold War escalated, Britain sometimes carried on their nuclear policy. This can be shown by governments throughout 1945-90 continued with a nuclear weapons policy even despite key moments of public pressure during the Cold War in the late 1950s to 1960s when Blue Streak was replaced by Skybolt and Polaris. Conversely, some governments when the threat increased did call for the nuclear arms