caTHE MAGAZINmE OF THE CAMPAIGN pFOR NUCLEAR DaISARMAMENT igOCTOBER 2016 n Trident on the agenda

CND’s Parliamentary Officer Russell Whiting gives us a round-up of season.

FTER Parliament voted Ain favour of Trident replacement in July, some thought the issue was settled. But this clearly isn’t the case, and Party Conference season has helped consoli date the opposition to Trident. In , Trident replacement was once again kept off the MPs, trade union leaders and party Labour Conference agenda, but that didn’t activists on the continuing campaign to stop the issue dominating the week. secure a change in Labour Party policy. Shadow Defence Secretary Clive Lewis The CND fringe meeting at the described himself as a ‘Trident sceptic’ to Liberal Democrat conference was also thunderous applause before stating that well attended. The party continues its Labour policy remains in favour of own policy review, which is expected to replacement. Despite media reports report before the end of the year. There suggesting the policy review had been was determina tion from those in shelved, Jeremy Corbyn confirmed that it attendance, including former MPs, that

Campaign for Nuclear is continuing. the wider membership can be persuaded Disarmament, During her speech Shadow Foreign to support a policy of opposing nuclear 162 Holloway Rd, Secretary Emily Thornberry committed a weapons. London N7 8DQ future Labour government to reviving Despite only one Conservative MP 020 7700 2393 multilateral talks on disarmament at the voting against Trident in parliament, a [email protected] UN. Labour will be sending a represent a - number of party members and activists tive to the upcoming conference in New joined the CND fringe in to www.cnduk.org York and joining CND and others in discuss the continuing campaign. applying pressure on the UK government CND will continue to work across to do the same. political parties inside and outside parlia - Outside the conference hall CND ment to oppose Trident replacement. If you held one of the most well-attended fringe are a member of a political party and would meetings of the week, with over 250 like to get involved in these campaigns CND people packing the room to hear from please email [email protected]. Campaign Bring Britain to the table CND General Secretary Kate Hudson writes about important developments in the international debate about a global ban.

ROM its founding meeting, nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. So far so good. Key flies in FCND has championed the But the problem of which we are the ointment were a) nuclear global abolition of nuclear all painfully aware, is that weapons states did not weapons. Yes, we have always although law, morality and mass participate, even though they fought first and foremost to popular will are on our side, the endlessly talk about being secure British nuclear disarm - nuclear weapons states ignore all committed to a multilateral ament, because this is where we these factors. This leaves the big process, and b) quite a few non- have most leverage. But we question: what will make them nuclear states acted as their have never been a NIMBY shift on nukes? proxies, disingenuously arguing organisa tion and know that Many states are now so totally that the current framework for Britain’s nuclear weapons are a sick of the inaction, prevarication negotiating disarmament is fine relatively small part of a and double standards of the and dandy. Notwithstanding this massive global problem that nuclear weapons states that they attempt effectively to destroy the needs to be dealt with. are pushing for a new inter - ban initiative, the working group For many years we have national legal process through still voted by a significant argued that nuclear weapons the United Nations, to secure a majority to press forward and must be banned in the same way global nuclear ban treaty. A series recommend a conference to that chemical and biological of conferences over the past few secure prohibition. weapons have been banned – or years, initially about the The General Assembly will more recently cluster munitions devastating humanitarian conse- discuss this proposal before the and landmines have been quences of nuclear weapons use, end of the year and the likeli - outlawed. Of course this coalesced into a UN General hood is the conference will go demand for global disarmament Assembly resolution last autumn, ahead. But again, the big doesn’t just come from convening a working group on question is: how do we get the campaigns like ours – it is made taking forward multilateral nuclear weapons states to engage by the overwhelming majority of nuclear disarmament negotia - and comply, given their track states globally, many of which tions. Three sessions of the record of ignoring such require - have already taken action by group later, it reported in August, ments? This is where we come forming themselves into nuclear recommending that the General in. We have to get Britain to that weapons-free zones. In fact, Assembly convenes a conference negotiating table. We have built a over half the globe is covered by in 2017 to negotiate a legally massive alliance and popular such agreements. binding prohibition of nuclear movement against Trident, The requirement for nuclear weapons, leading to total elimina - disregarded by our head-in-the- disarmament has also been tion. The General Assembly will sand government. Now let’s enshrined in international law vote on the proposal at the end mobilise unrelenting pressure on since 1970, in the form of the of October. them to join the global majority. 2 October 2016 Nukes of hazard

Matt Hawkins , Project Officer for the report used modelling and International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear freedom of information Weapons (ICAN) UK, updates us on an requests to work out the potential impact of an accident important new initiative on nuclear convoys. involving a nuclear convoy in five locations: Birmingham, CAN-UK has spent this year Newcastle, Preston, Wetherby, Iworking to build up support in and . Crucially Rob’s civi l society for the abolition of report revealed that the number Trident and to pressure the UK of safety incidents involving government to attend the these convoys is on the up ongoing United Nations talks on whilst preparations for an a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. accident involving a convoy Myths over the security these remain woefully inadequate. weapons of mass destruction With the support of CND, Rob’s report has added yet bestow on us are pervasive and Nukewatch, Scientists for more weight to our calls for the hard to shake. Many people Global Responsibility, and many scrapping of Trident –a remain unconvinced that more, we’ve had an incredible weapon that only makes our scrapping Trident would make first year. We’ve held public lives more not less risky. the world a safer place. meetings in Preston, Lancaster, Crucially, we’re not finished. ICAN-UK therefore Birmingham, and Newcastle. Next year we are looking to launched a single campaign We’ve created a series of build on our success from 2016. aimed at raising awareness of campaign videos with our latest If you would like to get the one of the very obvious being viewed, so far, over involved with the campaign, dangers that Trident poses to 40,000 times. We’ve launched a email [email protected]. the UK: the convoys that travel campaign action inviting the length of Britain carrying members of the public to email warheads between the naval their MP asking them to sign up depot at Coulport and the to a letter on nuclear weapons refurbishment plant at convoys. And we’ve grabbed Burghfield, Berkshire. press attention with media hits We had two goals for this ranging from the Mirror , to the campaign: one to increase BBC, local press, and Guardian . sympathy for the anti-nuclear Perhaps the biggest success weapons cause; the other to plant though was the launch of our the shoots of further anti-nuclear report on nuclear weapons campaigns amongst communities convoys last month. Written by that have never previously the fantastic investigative engaged with the issue. journalist Rob Edwards, this 3 What’s on

Events CND Conference 2016 22nd-23rd October 8th October CND Conference 2016 will take place at The Mechanics The creeping militarisa- Centre, 103 Princess Street, , M1 6DD. tion of our society: CND’s annual conference is where members elect CND’s youth conference leadership and vote on policy and campaign priorities for 10am-4pm, SOAS, University the year ahead. Please come along and contribute. of London, London. The Saturday, 22 October 22nd – AGM & Policy Movement for the Abolition Conference (members only). Register by midday on Friday, of War hosts a youth 14th October! conference on militarism in Sunday, 23rd October – A day of discussions, British society. meetings and workshops about tactics and techniques for nFor more info contact: peace and anti-nuclear campaigners (open to all/no [email protected] registration deadline). For more information see www.cnduk.org/about/cnd- 8th October n conference or contact Steph (020 7700 2393 / 15 years on: Time to [email protected]) stop the war 10am-5pm, TUC Congress House, 23-28 Great Russell 24th November A big thank you to CND supporter Street, London. Stop the No War! No Austerity! Brian Wallis who raised money War Coalition is organising London Youth and Student for us this summer by an international conference CND conference. 6:30pm- doing a parachute marking fifteen years of the 9pm, The Venue, Student jump from 15,000ft. 'War on Terror' and the Central, Malet Street, You’re braver than us, Brian! founding of the Stop the London. War Coalition. London Youth and Student uniting activists to carry the CND will be debunk ing the anti-war message across 16th October lies of Tory austerity and schools and campuses. A new UN treaty for banning nuclear weapons public Peace Camps nTel 01436 820901 meeting Aldermaston Women’s [email protected] 3pm-4:30pm, The Old Peace Camp Church, Stoke Newington Second weekend of every Menwith Hill Church Street, London. month. Women’s Peace Camp Organised by Just Peace nTel: 07946 676761 nContact Yorkshire CND for N16, this meeting will [email protected] details: 01274 730795 or discuss a new vision for www.aldermaston.net [email protected] global nuclear disarmament @Peace_women_AWE emerging in the United Menwith Hill vigil Nations. For more Faslane Peace Camp Every Tuesday 6-7.30pm. information contact Permanent. A814, nFor more info contact [email protected] Shandon, Helensburgh, Sarah – 01765 600928 or Dumbartonshire G84 8NT. sswift64@gmail

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