No To Trident

6.00.00pm GMT Sun 14th Jan 2007

Colin and Sean ringing the Peace Bell in Hiroshima

A while ago I wrote to Liberal Democrat News expressing my anger at the proposed Liberal Democrat policy regarding Trident. I had almost forgotten about it and then it appeared in this week's edition, I have reprinted it below. This is an issue I feel very strongly about and have also created a petition to Sir Menzies calling for Trident not to be renewed - please sign and encourage others to do so. The petition is the second item on the navigation menu on the left hand side of this page.

No To Trident

The answer is simple - the answer is no. No to Trident, No to son of Trident and No to any so called Independent Nuclear Deterrent. I am opposed to the UK having any nuclear weapons. I understand some people are in favour - this half-way position surely annoys everyone. For me it is simply wrong and those in favour will see it as being weak.

Last year I went on behalf of the party to Pakistan and tried to engage with politicians there as to why it was wrong for Iran or any other nation to develop nuclear weapons and why Pakistan should pull back from developing more nuclear weapons. What message does our policy send to them - that it is okay for the UK to have nuclear weapons but you cant?

Last year I also went to Hiroshima. I challenge anyone who is in favour of the UK, or anywhere, having nuclear weapons to go there for a day. See what destruction they caused and come back and tell me its a good idea.

Conference has yet to debate this policy. I look forward to that debate - the draft motion even accepts that non of the world's current nuclear weapons states poses a present threat to the UK and that nuclear weapons provide no defence to deterrent to terrorism. So why on earth should we keep them? I will be attending Conference to vote against this motion and for any amendment calling for disarmament - I hope you will join me.

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Sign my petition - NO TO TRIDENT