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No Trident Replacement - get rid of Britain’s nuclear weapons

“Replacing Britain’s nuclear weapons will cost over £76 billion. Let’s meet peoples’ needs not make weapons of mass destruction.”

2. How does it fit with Compass’ core beliefs of equality, solidarity, democracy, freedom, sustainability and well being?

Nuclear disarmament is fundamental to achieving these goals. Britain is one of a small number of states with nuclear weapons, in spite of treaty obligations to disarm. They can kill hundreds of millions of people - and they are also used politically to bolster Britain’s global power projection, as a ‘warfighting’ nation. They sustain unequal global relations, are used to intimidate non-nuclear states, and tie us into an unequal relationship with the United States. They are a massive waste of tax-payers’ money and an environmental and health disaster in waiting.

3. How does it build the institutions of social democracy, like social groups and collective and cooperative forms of ownership and control?

The No Trident Replacement campaign has, over the last two years, built a broad civil society alliance - including campaigning organisations, faith groups, trade unions - which has worked with parliamentarians to secure majority public opinion. The Trident vote in parliament in March 2007 saw the largest backbench rebellion on a domestic issue since Labour came to power in 1997. Simultaneously the country saw mass actions and creative popular campaigning, bringing together a powerful parliamentary and extra-parliamentary movement. This is central to democratic change. Reinvigorating this movement will help challenge and defeat government advance on the replacement this year.

4. How much will it cost or raise and where will any cost come from?

The costs are borne by the participant organisations which have policy against nuclear weapons, such as trade unions, campaigning organisations, and faith groups. Donations are successfully sought from members and supporters of CND and other organisations, and staff time is allocated via the campaigning organisations involved.

5. Which groups in the electorate are likely to support or oppose this measure? Is there any polling evidence you have on this?

There is widespread support across the electorate. A poll in autumn 2006 (commissioned by Greenpeace) showed that 59% opposed Trident replacement when they realised the costs involved. A poll in February 2007 (commissioned by More4) showed that 72% of the population did not think the government should go ahead with Trident replacement at that point.

Many trade unions have policy against Trident replacement and many faith organisations and faith leaders have spoken out against it. Opposition now comes from across the political spectrum, and many who supported nuclear weapons during the cold war now oppose them.

6. Is there a place or country where it’s worked? Please provide some information.

Around half the world - mostly the global south - is covered by internationally recognised nuclear weapons-free zones. South Africa gave up its nuclear weapons in the early 1990s and former Soviet republic Belarus, the Ukraine and Kazakhstan sent theirs back to Russia.

Since 1945, Egypt, Switzerland, Australia, Spain, Sweden, Canada, Yugoslavia, Brazil, Romania. Argentina, Iraq, Algeria and South Africa have all embarked on and abandoned nuclear weapons programmes.

7. What are the three main arguments in favour/against it?

Security: nuclear weapons have no role to play in meeting our primary security concerns - terrorism and climate change. Indeed, our continued possession of nuclear weapons makes proliferation by other countries more likely, thereby reducing our security. Nuclear use will become increasingly likely.

Costs: Current spending on nuclear weapons is in excess of £1.5 billion a year. The total cost of a replacement will be in excess of £76 billion. This should be spent on meeting people’s needs.

Legality: We are committed to disarmament under international law. Use of nuclear weapons would be illegal under every circumstance.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 27th, 2008 at 6:12 pm and is filed under Wellbeing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.