The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament will tomorrow lead a contingent on the TUC demonstration under the slogan ‘Cut Trident: not jobs, health and education’. Campaigners will highlight the hypocrisy of vast spending on Trident and its replacement at a time when the government is making swingeing cuts in almost every other area of public spending.
Kate Hudson, General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said “We’ll be joining the march to highlight the billions that could be saved – not by cutting public services that people rely on – but by scrapping the vastly expensive Trident nuclear weapons system. The Government claims it needs to impose savage cuts on almost all areas of our public services. But billions are still being poured into huge military projects that have no relevance to the defence of Britain. Over £2.2bn a year is wasted maintaining the current Trident system with spending already begun on its £76bn replacement.
“Billions are poured down the drain on war and weapons every year. It seems there is a bottomless pit of money for war-fighting but never for health, education or investing in building new industries. £4.5bn will be spent this year on the war in Afghanistan and the bill for bombing Libya could amount to £100m within just a few weeks. Each missile being fired costs the best part of a million pounds, and other costs – like £35,000 per hour for keeping a Tornado jet in the air – are mounting up in an alarming fashion.
“Our message is simple: Cut spending on nuclear weapons and war. Protect the basic services that every man, woman and child in this country relies upon. Police, schools and the NHS are all being cut, yet when it comes to missiles, drones and bombs, there seems to be no limit to the spending.”
Location: The CND contingent will be meeting next to HMS President on Victoria Embankment, where we will be joined by the Stop the War contingent .
Time: From 11am