17 January 2007: for immediate release
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament today called on the British government to initiate international negotiations towards global nuclear disarmament in response to the announcement by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists that the ‘Doomsday Clock’ is to be moved closer to midnight. (1)
Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said, “This move by the atomic scientists shows that the danger of nuclear weapons being used in war is significantly increasing. The refusal of the Nuclear Weapon States to disarm as agreed under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, along with their dangerous nuclear first-use policies and the illegal use of pre-emptive war, is leading to increased proliferation worldwide.”
A YouGov poll released earlier this week by CND shows that 64% of the British public want the government to support an international Convention banning all nuclear weapons. (2) A draft Nuclear Weapons Convention is already lodged with the United Nations.
Ms Hudson said, “A decision not to replace Trident is the best way for Britain to ensure its future security. It must be taken in tandem with government initiatives towards its stated goal of multilateral disarmament: backing a World Summit on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, and working towards a Nuclear Weapons Convention banning all such weapons. The British public has indicated its overwhelming support for such a course of action. If the government is serious about Britain’s security and creating a safer future, it will take immediate steps to start negotiations.”
CND, the Stop the War Coalition, and the British Muslim Initiative are organising a national demonstration on Saturday 24th February, calling for ‘No Trident’ and ‘Troops Home from Iraq.’ It is expected to be Britain’s largest anti-nuclear demonstration in decades.
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Notes to Editor:
1. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists plans to move the ‘Doomsday Clock’ forward at a press conference today at 14:30 GMT
2. For further information and interviews please contact Rick Wayman, CND’s Press & Communications Officer, on 0207 7002350 or 07968 420859
3. An ICM poll from June 2006 showed that 81% of the British public believes that any decision on Trident replacement should be made by Parliament, not the Prime Minister alone.
4. According to a July 2006 ICM poll, 59% of the British public opposes a replacement of Trident when presented with a cost of at least £25 billion. Click here for a full copy of the poll.
5. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is one of Europe’s biggest single-issue peace campaigns, with over 35,000 members in the UK. CND campaigns for the abolition of all nuclear weapons everywhere.