The government is increasing the money available for war and nuclear weapons while cutting funding for essential public services and jobs that benefit everyone. Help us redirect the money to where it’s really needed. Join the campaign for Nurses not Nukes!
Government plans to increase military spending up to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 will make the world far more dangerous and push millions more into greater poverty. Ahead of the Spring budget, CND has been working with MPs to secure an Early Day Motion opposing the obscene and dangerous hikes in military spending.
Britain’s nuclear weapons programme – a huge drain on public finances – accounts for 14% of the Ministry of Defence’s budget.
Building a mass public movement against the threat of nuclear weapons can pressure the government to change direction. That’s why we’re asking you to say no to throwing good money after bad.
What can you do today?
- Sign our call to the government telling them to prioritise people not nuclear weapons
- Wear the Nurses not Nukes tshirt or badge for an action, or just to go about your day!
- Contact your MP using our lobbying tool, asking them to back EDM 925 calling for the hike in military spending to be reversed
- Join CND today. The larger our movement for prioritising public services over war, the louder our voice.
“Just as we shouldn’t accept welfare cuts, nor should we increase tax to boost military spending. In fact, we shouldn’t increase military spending at all. (Sophie Bolt, CND General Secretary, writing in The Times.)
If the government wants to raise cash, one of the ways it could do this is to scrap Britain’s failed nuclear weapons system. It’s a dangerous and obscene waste of public funds, and makes up 14 per cent of the total defence budget.
In 2023 the ten-year spending forecast for nuclear weapons was £118 billion — nearly £8 billion over budget. The costs are out of control. Even the government’s own watchdog has branded the programme to replace the ageing nuclear submarine fleet unachievable.
Increasing military spending won’t make us safe. Spending billions on more lethal weaponry only makes the world more dangerous. And it can’t solve the urgent problems we face, such as the need to halt climate change; it will only accelerate these dangers.
It definitely won’t kick-start the failing economy, as chancellor Rachel Reeves argues.
This is because military spending is one of the least effective ways of boosting jobs and living standards. Economic analysis by the Scottish government suggests that investing in health is two and a half times more “jobs rich” than pouring money into military spending.
If the British government wants to keep the population safe and build a sustainable future for us all, it must end this dangerous drive to war. It certainly shouldn’t create a situation where we are being forced to pay more in taxes to help to fund it.
Instead of putting up taxes to bolster the defence budget, it should prioritise the health and wellbeing of its population, and meet its international obligations on nuclear non-proliferation, climate and development.”