campaignTHE MAGAZINE OF THE CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT APRIL 2020 The wrong priorities

Campaign for Nuclear CND General Secretary Kate Hudson asks why Britain isn’t Disarmament, 162 Holloway Rd, prepared for the coronavirus? London N7 8DQ N these lockdown days, we are all united in necessary equipment, facilities and materials 020 7700 2393 Iour desire to see our NHS staff made safe just aren’t there. Maybe this would be [email protected] through the provision of personal protective understandable if no one had realised that www.cnduk.org equipment (PPE), our sick given the very pandemics were a real threat; but that just best treatment to combat the virus and isn’t the case. They have been on the high- recover. We all want to see a vaccine risk radar of experts – and government – for produced as rapidly as possible, to defeat a long time. the virus. In 2005, ’s government Yet we find ourselves in a situation where published a National Security Strategy the NHS has been chronically underfunded which proudly stated: ‘The World Health CND for a decade or more, and supplies of Organisation has recognised the United Campaign

Kingdom as being in the have not been made. vanguard in preparing for a But we don’t have to look far pandemic and we will continue to see what has gone wrong. The to improve our capacity to last two security strategies have minimise the potential effects of designated the risk of nuclear Spotlight a pandemic...’ weapons proliferation and use as But it wasn’t just Blair’s a tier two threat. Yet the government that saw the risks. In governments that have produced Support your 2010, the Coalition Government these risk assessments have local CND Group identified a natural hazard such chosen to automatically pour as an influenza pandemic as a tier £205 billion into a new nuclear one risk to our security and in weapons system to ‘meet’ this While most of us are 2015 again the risk assessment lower level threat, leaving the spending a lot more time included the tier one category health system chronically at home during the ‘Public Health: Disease, underfunded and unable to meet coronavirus crisis, this could be a good time to Yet the governments that have produced these risk further support the assessments have chosen to automatically pour campaigns and organisations we care £205 billion into a new nuclear weapons system to about. One way to get ‘meet’ this lower level threat, leaving the health more involved in CND is system chronically underfunded. by supporting your local particularly pandemic influenza, the challenge of a pandemic. group. emerging infectious diseases and Once again our government growing Antimicrobial is shown to have the wrong There are CND groups Resistance…’ And in 2018 the priorities. The consequences located across the May government produced a could not be more stark: many country, and they would Biological Security Strategy, thousands of us will be left to love to hear from you so addressing these key issues. die, many in the most terrible that you can join the So successive governments of conditions. Together we must next action. Why not get different political persuasions stand up to this brutal and in touch? have all rightly identified the risk callous government and demand which pandemics pose yet the the right to live, in peace and For a full list of CND necessary levels of investment genuine human security. groups, see https://cnduk.org/local- groups/ Or contact Wash our hands of Trident to combat [email protected] Covid-19: Lobby your MP with any queries. Write to your MP today to tell them it's time for the government to wash its hands of Trident so that we can address the real security threats we face. https://cnd.eaction.org.uk/coronavirus

2 April 2020 leader

Daniel Blaney from Labour CND analyses the Labour leadership election result.

EIR STARMER was for Peace and Disarmament, a government led by Keir Kannounced as the new front-bench position which Starmer signing the UN’s leader of the Labour Party over Corbyn created. Labour CND nuclear ban treaty! the weekend, replacing CND devised a lobbying tool for Labour policy-making Vice-President . activists to quickly email all processes did change under voted in favour candidates, and their Labour Corbyn. This has modestly of Trident replacement in the MP if they had one. improved the likelihood of 2016 parliamentary vote on Rebecca Long Bailey, local parties and affiliates building new submarines for standing for leader, and placing issues of nuclear the nuclear weapons system. , standing for weapons, the Treaty on the His new Shadow Defence deputy leader, replied positively Prohibition of Nuclear Secretary did the and stated their view that the Weapons, Trident and defence same. However, the newly- position of Shadow Minister diversification on the agenda of appointed Shadow Foreign for Peace should be retained. . Secretary, voted – the victor in Whether the planned against, even though she the deputy leadership election – September 2020 conference in indicated earlier this year that noted the ‘great job’ Fabian takes place in full, she would be prepared to Hamilton had done in the role, given the pandemic, is support a new system. and stated: ‘I absolutely believe uncertain. But Labour CND Campaigning will continue for that there should be a front- will keep a diligent eye on Labour as a whole to recognise bench spokesperson with developments under the new the folly of Trident, especially specific responsibility for leadership, and will be as the coronavirus pandemic disarmament.’ Disappointing campaigning for Labour to highlights our real security then that Starmer’s new cabinet develop further policies for needs and the ability to does not include such a role. peace and nuclear disarma - diversify industry away from Starmer had replied to us, ment. An early commitment weapons to socially useful but was silent on retaining this must be made to scrap Trident production. position. Instead, his campaign and concentrate instead on our During the leadership team wrote: ‘Keir wants to see a real security needs, such as election, Labour CND – world without nuclear weapons investment in health and the CND’s specialist section for and supports multilateral efforts climate crisis. Labour Party members – towards disarmament.’ A key n Do keep in touch with pressured the candidates to task now to ask whether those Labour CND’s activities commit to retaining the efforts (described by his team in at www.labourcnd.org.uk position of Shadow Minister the plural) include a Labour 3 What’s on

Due to the coronavirus crisis, all in-person public events have been cancelled for the next few weeks. But you can join CND, and our groups, for virtual events, see below. And keep checking our website for further online activity.

It’s the economy, stupid: how neoliberalism undermines our security Meet the staff 3pm, April 11th CND webinar with Professor This month: Paul Rogers. Sue Longbottom, Designer n Watch live on CND’s “I design CND campaigning and Facebook page or contact publicty materials, which may [email protected] for more involve coming up with new information. branding or designing a new War in Space: Weaponising campaign logo. On other occasions, the ‘Final Frontier’ it’s a matter of updating and organising reprints of our 6pm, April 17th ongoing publications. I am responsible for ‘print buying’, Webinar with Yorkshire CND which involves liaising with the printers, getting quotes and the Global Network for orders and booking in jobs on time. Regular n For information on how to publications include the monthly online Campaign join: [email protected] . magazine, Summer Campaign and our annual Campaign Review which go to all our members. London CND will be holding weekly training sessions for I also photograph events and am responsible for members who would like to get maintaining and updating our photo library.” to grips with social media campaigning. We'll be covering , Facebook and creative content. nJoin us every Wednesday, Kate Hudson is online at 3pm. Email ahead to staying on temporarily join: [email protected] as General Secretary and recruiting for the Temporary role has been put on hold while this crisis office closure lasts. The CND national office in London is currently closed, Feel free to get in following government touch with us by instructions in response to emailing the coronavirus crisis. All [email protected] staff are working remotely or phoning 07891 however so (most!) work 870732 (between 10am-6pm, Monday-Friday). should continue as normal.

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