Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Is
Trident
on the
way out?
Campaign for Nuclear
Disarmament,
162 Holloway Rd,
London N7 8DQ
Inside
Nuclear deals with India Trident, jobs and the UK economy
Anti-Trident advances
It’s interesting to see the struggle Review. Even Des Browne, the former
between the Treasury and the Ministry of Labour Defence Secretary who
Defence over who should pay for introduced Trident replacement in 2007,
Trident. The MoD is facing cuts of up to is questioning his decision, saying ‘We
20% (and why not?) and wants the ought now to be asking, what more can
Treasury to pay for Trident replacement. the UK do to contribute to the
But George Osborne is adamant that the international momentum on disarmament
money will have to come from the MoD and non-proliferation?’ Well, yes we
budget. So the MoD is now at war with ought! People around the world,
the Treasury! There is an easy way to including top military and political leaders,
resolve this conflict though – cancel the are saying that they want to see a world
whole Trident programme! without nuclear weapons. Even NATO is
making noises - Secretary General
Rasmussen has said that they will be
discussing diminished reliance on nuclear
‘We ought now to be
Dave Webb, Acting Chair
asking, what more can weapons at their November summit. The
ou are probably wondering what world is waiting for someone to take the
SC R AP E
decisions. If it is necessary to make cuts
on and the very future of the current system is in question. Now is the time to reiterate the
BAN ALL
considered way, a democratic way, a way Sign the new petition online at www.cnduk.org and TRID NT
that protects those most vulnerable?
NUCLEANRS
forward it on to everyone you know. To help you get
Shouldn’t we be cutting things we don’t
WEAPO
more signatures, you’ll also receive a hard copy with
want, things we don’t really need? your Campaign Review in January.
Opinions expressed by authors in Campaign are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the policies of CND.
2
Viewpoint
This is a dangerous fantasy. Both countries are believed to exports and spread nuclear technology
But the problem is not, as some critics be increasing their nuclear and nuclear explosive material around
suggest, that these moves are likely to forces. the globe.
raise fears of leakage of fissile material Neither country has signed the No doubt British diplomats and
from India’s civilian to its military nuclear nuclear power cheerleaders were
programme, but that it rewards a state delighted by the final outcome of the
nuclear Non-Proliferation
that has steadfastly refused to sign the 2010 NPT Review Conference at the
Treaty, yet both countries have
the sensible caution of both the Foreign A regional exchange of 50 equipment, materials and scientific and
Office and Ministry of Defence. nuclear warheads from either technological information’.
India’s atomic ambitions – like those side in a war between two The India deal is totally outside this
of the much touted global nuclear countries like India and regime, which offers a nuclear energy
renaissance – have no basis in reality. A Pakistan could kill 200 million carrot in exchange for waiving interest
year ago, India’s Prime Minister people and result in ‘the in nuclear weapons. India gets the carrot
Manmohan Singh announced a largest climate change in without paying any heed to the stick.
projected 100-fold increase in nuclear recorded human history’– see We should be very afraid that
energy output by 2050, with 470 latest research findings at Labour’s remarkably naïve and
gigawatts (GW), comprising around 470 www.nucleardarkness.org). disingenuous document now appears to
new nuclear plants. This is considerably Pakistan has called for a similar have become the coalition’s very own
more than the total number of nuclear ‘Janus’ nuclear policy.
plants currently operating worldwide.
US civilian nuclear deal.
3
News
4
Campaigns
spring, written by scientists in Russia and Children’s Hospice has many young working with other Chernobyl charities
Belarus and based on years of research, families in their care, because babies have to raise awareness about the ongoing
reveals that hundreds of thousands have been born with genetic disorders which effects of the accident. We hope to
died as a result of the fallout. make it hard for them to breathe unaided. involve school students in raising funds,
Back in 2001, the Belarusian The Chernobyl Children’s Project taking part in a Creative Writing
Ministry of Statistics declared that there (UK) works closely with both the hospital Competition and performing a play. We
had been a 60% rise in the number of and the hospice, buying medicines when plan to hold concerts, exhibitions and
children born with disabilities over the these cannot be obtained in Belarus and church services. We hope that CND
previous seven years. And in the same providing training and equipment for members and groups will support
year the head of Belarus’ radiation hospice staff. CHERNOBYL 25 activities and the work
medicine institute, told a news We bring children to Britain for of the charities. We especially encourage
conference: ‘It is clear that we are seeing recuperative holidays, many of them in you to take part in a ‘Chernobyl
genetic changes, especially among those remission from cancer, and we organise Challenge’. Across Europe, there will be
who were less than six years of age when holidays in Belarus for disabled children candlelit vigils with people forming a giant
subjected to radiation. These people are living in orphanages. ‘25’ which can be filmed from above.
now starting families.’ We have set up small family homes Vigils are already planned at the
These consequences are now being for disabled children and young adults Brandenberg Gate and Cologne Cathedral.
widely denied, but in the Minsk and we have a major training Please start planning your own vigil.
Children’s Cancer Hospital, doctors are programme which has helped move To find out more about our work
talking of their shock over the numbers hundreds of children from orphanages and events planned for CHERNOBYL
of babies being diagnosed with cancer, into local foster family homes. 25, visit our website www.chernobyl-
including leukaemia. And the Belarusian For the 25th Anniversary we will be children.org.uk
5
Trident replacement
will destroy thousands of jobs
Our new report Trident, jobs and the UK Economy explodes the myth that replacing Trident would
create more jobs for defence workers. On the contrary, it would destroy thousands of jobs across
Britain. This is not just because spending on Trident comes at the expense of other public spending
like health, education and basic community services. It is because the money for Trident will come
primarily at the expense of other conventional defence projects and the jobs that support them,
writes Alan Mackinnon, Scottish CND Chair.
he real game changer has RAF Marham, with the the loss of almost
6
successful US Base Re-alignment and
Closure programmes) with real resources, Spending Challenge mystery
early planning and trade union and
community involvement to ensure that
few if any jobs were lost in the event of
Kate Hudson, CND General Secretary
ending nuclear submarine construction.
The report focuses on how marine
I
n July, the Treasury invited the public to participate in its ‘Spending
armed forces.
by ordinary members of the public. Filed away and never to be seen
7
News
8
Peace education update Fund education,
not Trident
Anna Liddle,
Peace Education Officer Fiona Edwards,
Student CND Convenor
CND’s Peace Education work
continues to reach thousands of new
pupils thanks to many more schools S tudent CND’s focus over the past year
has been our ongoing priority
eagerly taking up our resources for use in campaign Fund Education Not Trident.
their classrooms. Visiting many schools
With Britain facing devastating cuts in
the activities.
government’s wrong spending priorities.
promoted at conferences for teachers of Peace Festival; the visit of a Mayors for
annually on maintaining the existing
CND Peace Education also made its training sessions booked in across the
government takes from students in
TV debut in recent months with a short country and school visits in the diary for
tuition fees every year.
education pack. The film, entitled The Get in touch with Anna Liddle to
than 800 newly elected student
Bomb Factor, features our popular promote CND Peace Education in your
sabbatical officers of student unions
9
Campaigns
In the news. . .
New treaty bans cluster bombs Polaris submarine, HMS Resolution, Information Service has called for a full
Following concerted campaigning (obsolete and being stored afloat at independent inquiry into the incident.
worldwide, the Convention on Cluster Rosyth Dockyard). In 2008, a fist-
Fire at Sizewell B
Munitions entered into force in sized hole was found in HMS
Eight fire crews were called out to
August. Although 106 countries have Revenge’s hull. Parts of these vessels
the Sizewell B nuclear power station
signed up, campaigning needs to are still radioactive. The local MP has
after a fire broke out in one of the
continue as Russia, the US, Israel, written to the Nuclear Directorate
adjacent facilities. According to
China, Pakistan and India are not yet seeking reassurance.
regional news reports, the fire took
signatories. 6½ hours to bring under control. The
AWE: a fire, a supercomputer
Pirate risk for floating reactors A new supercomputer, Blackthorn is reactor has been shut down since
Russia launched a gigantic new barge being installed at the Atomic Weapons March after moisture levels were
in June planned to carry two nuclear Establishment, Aldermaston to work found to be too high.
reactors by 2012. The Global Security alongside two other new super- Blair’s belated Trident wisdom
Newswire has explained that such computers, all supplied by French Tony Blair reveals in his recently
reactors are vulnerable to piracy and company Bull. New data conducive to published memoirs that he was
severe weather conditions. Further- nuclear warhead design development aware of the ‘common sense and
more, the uranium fuel used in them is will be generated by these computers in practical argument’ against Trident,
to be more highly-enriched so is closer combination with a planned new nevertheless he believed nuclear
to reaching weapons-grade which hydrodynamics facility and the new weapons gave the UK status.
means there is a risk of it being diverted Orion laser.
to make a crude nuclear device. Despite his backing for Trident
Another recent (unrelated) event was a replacement while Prime Minister, he
Hole in another Polaris sub fire that broke out in the explosives now says, ‘The expense is huge, and
The Tayside and Fife Courier has area. A worker received minor burns, the utility in a post-cold war world is
reported how three holes have been local residents were evacuated and less in terms of deterrence, and non-
discovered in the hull of a second roads were cordoned off. The Nuclear existent in terms of military use.’
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Muriel’s Grapevine
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What’s on