NEWS RELEASE
I issued the following press release on 21.12.2005
MP calls for no UK nukes post-2024
Today, Lynne Jones MP has set out her arguments opposing the
retention of nuclear weapons beyond 2024: http://www.lynnejones.org.uk/Trident.htm
The MP cites three main reasons for her opposition to the
Government's policy:
The threat we face today, and in the immediate future, is one
totally immune to the deterrent of nuclear weapons, thereby making the case for renewal
unconvincing.
Maintaining a deterrent beyond 2020 so that the UK can be protected
against potential future threats would signal that nuclear weapons are an essential part
of a nation’s security. This would cause more countries to want a similar deterrent
and run the risk of causing the spread of nuclear weapons.
To renew our nuclear deterrent would go against the
non-proliferation treaties we have signed and weaken any international condemnation of
other states obtaining nuclear weapons
Lynne Jones said:
"Though the future is impossible to
foretell, it can still be shaped and influenced by the decisions that are taken today. By
opting for the indefinite retention of our own "nuclear deterrent", the
Government is encouraging nuclear proliferation thus increasing the chances of a nuclear
confrontation as well as the possibility of a terrorist group obtaining nuclear weapons. The £multi billions cost of renewing Trident would
be better spent on measures to decrease conflict in the world, such as helping
international peacekeeping efforts and combating climate change, which is a bigger threat
to global security even than terrorism."
As there was no formal policy process within the Labour Party leading
to the Government's hasty decision to replace Britain's nuclear submarines, which it can
expect to get through the Commons only with Tory support, Lynne Jones is encouraging
Labour Party members and constituents to participate in the consultation organised by
Compass:
http://www.compassonline.org.uk/news_comments.asp?n=344
Lynne Jones also praises her constituent, Professor John Hull of the
Queen’s Foundation and the University of Birmingham, who will be the first blind
person to take part in the Faslane365 campaign, which intends to blockade the Faslane
nuclear submarine base for a year from October 2006 in protest of renewing Trident. On 7 January, Professor Hull, who is 71, will take
part in an academic seminar at the main gate of the base, with fellow academics from Britain
and Sweden and supported by students from several universities.
E N D S
back to top
