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ReThink Trident Campaign
Dr Ian Gibson MP joined Annie Lennox, Bianca Jagger, Ken Livingstone, Tony Robinson and Greenpeace onboard the Greenpeace ship the Arctic Sunrise earlier this week (06/05/07) to show his support for the Rethink Trident campaign.
There is a growing body of trade unions charities and campaign groups who have come together under the ‘Rethink Trident’ banner and are trying to delay the Government's Future of the UKs Nuclear Detterent Bill which will be voted on in the Commons next week. The Defence Committee Report on Trident out this week raises serious concerns about the government’s plans as they stand. The Rethink Trident coalition has four aims:
- Britain should not be rushed into a premature decision to replace its “Trident” nuclear weapons system;
- More time should be taken for Parliamentary and public scrutiny and debate;
- The urgent need is both to halt the spread of nuclear weapons to new countries, and for all states which possess them to move more rapidly and substantially towards nuclear disarmament;
- Therefore the priority for the UK government should be launching a renewed diplomatic initiative to seek a breakthrough in disarmament and non-proliferation negotiations, as it has taken a lead in relation to such global challenges as climate change and acute poverty.
Dr Gibson opposes the government’s plans to renew the Trident Nuclear Weapons system and will be voting to delay the bill on Wednesday next week.
“This is a very important decision for the UK and it has a huge knock on effect when it comes to international security. It is clear from the Defence Committee Report that there are a lot of issues and figures which need further explanation and clarification. The Government has a lot of work to do to make the case for renewing Trident convincing, we do not even know the full cost yet and some estimates put it at £76 billion! That’s £76 billion that could be put into schools or the NHS. I would not invest money in a project unless I knew that every angle and issue was fully planned for and fully costed. We must not rush into this, we must take the opportunity to delay the decision and only make a choice when every option and counter option has been explored” said Dr Gibson
The Greenpeace ship the Arctic Sunrise will be moored next to Tower Bridge in London for the week running up to the vote next Wednesday and events and rallies will be taking place across the country during that time.
There will be a live web cast concert Thursday on board the Arctic Sunrise which will include a 50-strong choir called 'Sense of Sound' will perform a piece composed by former Blur singer Damon Albarn .
The Government hopes to push the bill through on Wednesday 14th however campaigners argue that the project will cost the UK £76 billion, undermine international security, leave Britain powerless to urge other nations to reduce their Nuclear capacity or urge nations such as Iran not to build nuclear weapons, and will break the Nuclear non-proliferation treaty the UK entered into in 1970.
There is to be a mass lobby of Parliament at 1pm on Wednesday 14th the day of the vote followed by a rally in Parliament Square at 6pm (see http://www.cnduk.org/ ) CND groups from areas across the country, including a contingent from Norwich, will be attending.