CND’s has criticised Labour’s ‘hypocritical and muddled’ approach to foreign policy. In a landmark foreign policy speech at Chatham House today, Labour leader Ed Miliband pledged a commitment to multilateralism and global institutions, yet he reiterated Labour’s support for Britain retaining nuclear weapons, while failing to set out plans for multilateral disarmament and a global ban on nuclear weapons.
Miliband also criticised the Conservatives for lack of post-conflict planning following the 2011 bombing campaign in Libya and the ensuing migrant crisis – despite it being a war which Labour backed.
CND’s General Secretary Kate Hudson said:
‘Labour can’t have it both ways. Ed Miliband is trying to situate the party as one of multilateralism and international institution-building, but the party’s record is one of supporting disastrous and bloody misadventures: from Afghanistan to Iraq to Libya.
‘Worse still – Labour’s one concrete message in the speech is that they will spend up to £100bn to ensure Britain is a nuclear-armed state for the next 30-40 years.
In just a few days, world leaders are gathering at the UN for the largest global conference on nuclear disarmament for the past 5 years – but all Labour and the Tories seem to be able to think about is appearing tough on defence.
‘Where is Ed’s multilateral approach here? He claims to be ‘a disarmer’, though admittedly not a ‘unilateral disarmer’: but while he talks up multilateral approaches to tackling ISIS and the crisis in Ukraine, he offers nothing in the way of multilateral commitments on Trident. What Labour has ended up with is a hypocritical and muddled stance: it’s big on admirable rhetoric and light on substance.
‘In just a few days, world leaders are gathering at the UN for the largest global conference on nuclear disarmament for the past 5 years – but all Labour and the Tories seem to be able to think about is appearing tough on defence.
‘If Ed Miliband really wants to show he’s tough enough, he should commit to scrapping Trident and kickstarting real progress on global nuclear disarmament.’