The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is set to join a major anti-austerity demonstration on Sunday organised by the TUC and supported by campaign groups including the People’s Assembly Against Austerity.
The demo has been called to coincide with the beginning of the Conservative Party’s annual conference which will both take place in Manchester.
As MPs and delegates gather, CND will form a Scrap Trident bloc to highlight the £100bn cost of replacing Britain’s nuclear weapons system. The decision to replace Trident is expected to be taken by Parliament in 2016.
CND has also announced today that a major national anti-nuclear demonstration is planned for Saturday 20th February 2016 in London.
Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said:
“The Conservative Party is committed to replacing Trident at a huge cost to tax payers and at time of austerity when huge cuts have been made in other areas of public spending, including in conventional defence.”
“CND will join the TUC’s anti-austerity march to say that Trident needs to be scrapped. We need more money for health, education and jobs, not for a cold-war relic that does nothing to address the security challenges we face, such as terrorism and climate chaos.”
“Public opinion against Trident is growing, and political parties are beginning to reflect this. The SNP in Scotland, Plaid Cymru in Wales, the Green Party, and a Labour leader who is committed to disarmament. It is essential that we bring together all who oppose Trident, which is why we are planning from today a national anti nuclear demo to take place in February next year.”
“The government must not be given a blank cheque to replace Trident. The public must be heard and represented.”