22 February 2007: for immediate release
CND last night organised a projection of the ‘No Trident Replacement’ logo on to the House of Commons in order to signify the British people’s overwhelming opposition to the government’s plans to replace Trident, Britain’s nuclear weapons system.
The event comes just before Saturday’s national ‘No Trident’ demonstration in London, which will draw tens of thousands of people from across the country to what is expected to be London’s biggest anti-nuclear demonstration in decades.
Jeremy Corbyn, Labour MP for Islington North, said:
‘To replace the Trident Nuclear Missile System would be illegal and lead us further into a much more dangerous world. Weapons of mass destruction were the pretext for the war in Iraq and there is no reason why Britain should now propose to waste 70 billion pounds in developing a new generation of weapons of mass destruction.’
Gavin Strang, Labour MP for Edinburgh East, said:
‘Parliament should listen to the growing opposition to Trident replacement – Britain must be a force against nuclear proliferation.’
Katy Clark, Labour MP for Ayrshire North and Arran, said:
‘I will be speaking at a demonstration against Trident in Glasgow on Saturday whilst at the same time a similar event will be taking place in London. Parliament should be promoting a debate before we vote as many young people in particular know little about the implications of deciding to develop a more sophisticated nuclear weapons system.’
John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, said:
‘The first act of a peace agenda for Britain will be the scrapping of Trident and not developing new British weapons of mass destruction.’
Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said:
‘The demonstration on Saturday 24th February will be the largest anti-nuclear demonstration for decades. It will express the true sentiments of the British people with regard to peace and war.’
end
Notes to Editor:
1. For further information and interviews please contact Rick Wayman, CND’s Press & Communications Officer, on 0207 7002350 or 07968 420859
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.