Below is a letter sent by CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt to the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, urging him to take a new direction to the disastrous path of Keir Starmer. You too can write to Burnham using CND’s easy lobby tool here.
Dear Prime Minister,
As you take on your new position today, I am urging you to choose a different path for Britain; one that puts people before weapons, diplomacy before militarism and brings hope, not fear.
The world is facing the highest nuclear threat since the Cold War. At precisely the moment when calm leadership and diplomacy are needed, Britain continues to pour billions of pounds into military spending, making us the world’s third-largest nuclear weapons spender. This does not make us safer. It fuels an increasingly dangerous global arms race while diverting desperately needed resources away from the services that keep our communities healthy, secure and prosperous.
The cost of replacing and maintaining the Trident nuclear weapons system is now expected to exceed £205 billion over its lifetime, while the Defence Investment Plan will increase spending on Britain’s nuclear weapons programme by a further £64 billion over the next four years. This is an extraordinary commitment of public money at a time when millions of people are struggling with the cost of living and essential public services remain under severe pressure. It should be scrapped.
The previous government’s own data directly challenges the claim that increased military spending will drive economic growth and create jobs. It shows that investing public money in military procurement creates fewer jobs than investing the same amount in health, education, rail, renewable energy or social care. In other words, the claim of a “defence dividend” does not withstand scrutiny. Rather than driving economic growth or creating more jobs, increased military spending delivers poorer returns for taxpayers and diverts billions of pounds away from the public services people rely on every day. Taking money from hospitals, schools, local councils and social care to fund weapons is not an investment in Britain’s future; it is a political choice that leaves communities poorer, public services weaker and working people paying the price.
With another economic crisis looming, your government’s priority should be protecting living standards, lifting people out of poverty, tackling the cost-of-living crisis and taking urgent action on the climate emergency. These are the challenges that threaten people’s lives every day. They cannot be solved with nuclear weapons, missiles or warplanes.
The escalating conflict in Iran also risks deepening global instability and worsening the economic pressures already being felt by families across the UK. I urge you to do everything in your power to push for diplomacy, reduce tensions and ensure Britain is not dragged into yet another illegal, unnecessary and devastating war. The UK should be known for preventing conflict, not preparing for it.
I also urge you to cancel the planned purchase of F-35A nuclear-capable fighter jets. This is an unnecessary escalation that ties Britain even more closely to nuclear weapons while consuming billions of pounds that could instead rebuild our NHS, strengthen education, invest in affordable housing, improve public transport and tackle climate change.
Your first Budget will send a powerful message about the kind of government you intend to lead. I hope it will reject the false choice that Britain’s security depends upon ever-higher military spending. Real security comes from decent homes, quality healthcare, good schools, secure jobs, a stable climate and peaceful international relations.
It is time to invest in saving lives, not preparing to destroy them.
Yours sincerely,
Sophie Bolt General Secretary