Anti-nuclear campaigners have responded to the Chancellors of the Exchequer’s 2018 budget.
Sara Medi Jones, Acting General Secretary of CND, said:
“This is yet another budget that prioritises war and nuclear weapons over people and their needs. While millions use foodbanks, the government has announced an extra £1 billion for the Ministry of Defence.
“The elephant in the room is Trident. The Chancellor should have announced today that he is scrapping Trident, but instead the government continues along a path that will see over £205 billion spent on replacing Britain’s nuclear weapon system.
“Hammond began his speech saying the last eight years of cuts were not driven by ideology, so why is it that at every budget the only thing we can be sure of is more money for weapons of mass destruction?
“If Trident is scrapped, the £205 billion saved could employ 150,000 new nurses and build 120 state of the art hospitals. The money could also be used to build 650,000 new homes.”