Yet more British nuclear weapons?

This video from Scotland says about itself:

Cut Trident Not Jobs, Edinburgh 13 March 2010

March from the Scottish Parliament led by First Minister Alex Salmond. Other speakers Rev Ian Galloway, Alis Ballance, Mark Lazarowicz MP, John Barrett MP, Lesley Riddoch, Kate Hudson; chaired by actor David Hayman.

By Malcolm Burns in Glasgow, Scotland:

Corbyn leads call to halt Trident renewal

Sunday 10 March 2013

Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn called on the labour, trade union and peace movements today to “start right now” and build a massive campaign against Trident renewal.

The anti-war campaigner told the Scottish Morning Star spring conference in Glasgow that his party must not allow its front bench to wait until the “main gate” decision in three years’ time.

“I hope we have a Labour defence secretary – and I hope it’s not Jim Murphy,” the Islington North MP said.

“Because the argument of the warmongers will be that we have already laid down £3 billion and we wouldn’t want to lose it so we may as well go the whole hog and spend the other £97bn.”

Mr Corbyn said the next Labour government will face “huge demands on a whole host of things” like health, benefits, education and infrastructure.

“Are we really going to spend £100bn on more weapons of mass destruction at the same time as these vital demands are before us?” he asked.

“I want these arguments put now, in unions, in the party and in the House of Commons,” he urged.

“There are alternatives – we don’t have to continue forever with a foreign policy based on the think tanks of the US and Nato.

“We want a world where we respect and understand diversity and difference. As socialists we are about sharing, and providing for need – not grabbing for greed.”

Scottish CND chairman Alan Mackinnon underlined the “huge opportunity” to stop the Trident programme altogether.

“Trident is hanging by a thread. It is deeply unpopular even within the armed forces,” he said.

“But it is essential we keep our focus on Westminster.

“Yes, the Scottish referendum gives us opportunities to challenge Trident – but independence is unlikely to happen in 2014 and even if it did there is no guarantee of a Scottish government getting rid of the weapons – they would come under massive pressure and it is almost certain a deal would be done.”

Related articles

• Lesley Riddoch: Trident doubt could help SNP (scotsman.com)
• Britain, North Korea and Mali (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• Has Labour already committed to renewing Trident? No (liberalconspiracy.org)
• Anti-Trident weekend planned for 13-15th April (bellacaledonia.org.uk)
• Trident: Where the money might better be used (leftfootforward.org)
• Letters: Questions over UK’s commitment to non-proliferation (guardian.co.uk)
• Norway: Nuclear blast effects dire (upi.com)