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Sign up to not replacing Trident

During the leadership election, Ed Miliband was questioned by Labour CND about Trident and its replacement. Unlike David Miliband, he responded.  Ed Miliband said:

“We need to have a thorough examination of that decision [Trident Replacement] as part of the government’s strategic defence review. The review should look at the totality of our conventional and nuclear capabilities, considering both our defence needs and what our priorities are in the changing economic climate. Defence should not be exempted from the tough spending choices we need to face.”

The Tory-led coalition government announced in May that it was to proceed with the next phase of Trident Replacement — with a further decision on construction in 2016. Labour’s policy review needs to fully examine this area as Ed Miliband indicated during the leadership election.

We cannot afford nuclear weapons, and the rest of world is looking for global agreement to abolish them via a Nuclear Weapons Convention.  The next Labour Government in Britain should be at the forefront of that movement for a nuclear free world, not pledging to remain a nuclear power by building a replacement system.

Two dozen Labour MPs have signed a statement on the anniversary of the nuclear bomb dropping on Hiroshima and it has been published in the Guardian.  It calls for a review that considers non-replacement and disarmament. Labour CND is asking for ordinary members to add their names to this statement which reads:

We regret that the coalition has committed to Trident replacement. At a time of severe spending cuts across the public sector, there has been no critical assessment of Trident’s role in addressing the UK’s security threats.  No case for replacing Trident has been made. The Labour Party should commit to a defence review that considers non-replacement and disarmament of Trident. We must play our role in building the momentum for international disarmament, by committing our support to a Nuclear Weapons Convention.

4 Comments

  1. David P Elliot says:

    It seems we are perfectly happy to slaughter people all over the World in illegal wars as well as destroying society at home and causing the death of helpless people by removing their lifeline whilst making their last few years on this earth as unpleasant as possible – do we also need to spend millions on weapons of mass destruction that have no target and the use of which would constitute a crime against humanity?

  2. Henry Mellor says:

    Replacing Trident is, to my mind, utter nonsense in this day and age. I ask, how much more could services for vulnerable children and adults be improved if the defence budget fro nuclear weapons was cut, in part, or better still all together? This is an issue that will hold my vote in the balance.

  3. Arvind Parmessur says:

    A wasteful use of resource.

    Need to invest in people.

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