Trident Debate grows rapidly
Big Trident Debate | 12.10.2006 19:35 | Anti-militarism
The website campaigning to secure a full public and parliamentary debate on the replacement of Britain's nuclear weapons system, Trident has been growing rapidly, today passing the 500 signatories mark.
The Government has said that it would take a decision on this matter before the end of the year and Tony Blair promised the fullest possible debate on the issue. However no steps have been taken to this end.
The Big Trident Debate website - www.bigtridentdebate.org.uk - is the first stage of this campaign and contains a statement on this subject to which individuals and organisations are invited to add their names. Amongst the hundreds signed up are many MPs, MEPs, trade union leaders, bishops and public figures including Benjamin Zephaniah, Mark Thomas and Brian Eno.
Today, signups have passed the 500 mark with many more expected at the CND Conference to be held this weekend at Bradford University.
The website has been facilitated by CND with the single aim of pressing the government to facilitate a full parliamentary and public debate and to provide a public space for debate of the issues.
The full text of the statement which appears on the website is as follows:
We, the undersigned, believe:
The future of the UK's Trident nuclear weapons system is of great national and international importance and will have implications for decades to come. Any decision should only be made after full and informed public and Parliamentary debate.
It is the responsibility of Government to facilitate a thorough, national consultation. This dialogue must inform the decision-making process and take place before the Government makes any decision on the way forward.
The Government must publish comprehensive information and analysis on all the key issues, including nuclear and non-nuclear options, current and future perceived threats to the UK, the deterrent capability of nuclear weapons to address such threats, estimated costs for each option, international obligations and implications for nuclear proliferation.
The Government must allocate sufficient time for a full Parliamentary debate, and the substantive decision on whether or not Britain retains nuclear weapons must be made by Parliament.
For further information on the Big Trident Debate, please visit www.bigtridentdebate.org.uk or ring 0845 094 6058
The Big Trident Debate website - www.bigtridentdebate.org.uk - is the first stage of this campaign and contains a statement on this subject to which individuals and organisations are invited to add their names. Amongst the hundreds signed up are many MPs, MEPs, trade union leaders, bishops and public figures including Benjamin Zephaniah, Mark Thomas and Brian Eno.
Today, signups have passed the 500 mark with many more expected at the CND Conference to be held this weekend at Bradford University.
The website has been facilitated by CND with the single aim of pressing the government to facilitate a full parliamentary and public debate and to provide a public space for debate of the issues.
The full text of the statement which appears on the website is as follows:
We, the undersigned, believe:
The future of the UK's Trident nuclear weapons system is of great national and international importance and will have implications for decades to come. Any decision should only be made after full and informed public and Parliamentary debate.
It is the responsibility of Government to facilitate a thorough, national consultation. This dialogue must inform the decision-making process and take place before the Government makes any decision on the way forward.
The Government must publish comprehensive information and analysis on all the key issues, including nuclear and non-nuclear options, current and future perceived threats to the UK, the deterrent capability of nuclear weapons to address such threats, estimated costs for each option, international obligations and implications for nuclear proliferation.
The Government must allocate sufficient time for a full Parliamentary debate, and the substantive decision on whether or not Britain retains nuclear weapons must be made by Parliament.
For further information on the Big Trident Debate, please visit www.bigtridentdebate.org.uk or ring 0845 094 6058
Big Trident Debate
e-mail:
enquiries@bigtridentdebate.org.uk
Homepage:
http://www.bigtridentdebate.org.uk
Comments
Hide the following 7 comments
Pointless
13.10.2006 07:49
Smelly Scrote
anybody going to cnd conference - pass a message?
13.10.2006 17:53
. . . INPUT FROM OLD HACKS + NEW FRIENDS - my name is with it in case people recognise the "ex-vicethingummyofCNDbit" - they are good ideas written up fast - tried to get tobradford + n, but coaches were full when i hit the coach station -
have a superb meeting
cheers ! . . . see you!
dave durham
cost-plus-percentage big "coldwar" sort of a project, is it
14.10.2006 13:16
againstracketeers "infowar" ploy .... "aint-a-point-trying" (schluss! 2 U)
different message for cnd people this weekend -
14.10.2006 13:35
put message + comment, fri, but doesnt appear - also, seems it isnt possible to access a lot of the actual "forum" messages . . . .
dd
so - pass this to cnd big mtng fast, cheers
14.10.2006 14:03
It seems very possible to use the "news-gap" that the chief of staff of the army has caused, re the war in iraq, to call a VERY BIG demo, FROM THIS WEEKENDS MEETING,
- for a couple of DAYS IN ADVANCE OF THE USA ELECTIONS.
Thats several weeks away, but very fast for "usual" timing (- but see "practicals" - the main bit of this message! ! ) - the elections are 7/11, the sunday is the 4th, but its possible that the 100,000s might come out for a tues. (6th), if they can see the way this is taking "foregn policy" back, in a very big way, as the largest, "pre-war"march did.
The idea of asking the daily mail to put up a speaker too, to include scientists, the "neutrals" , celebrities - (g.michael etc ETC) - bit of singing, bit of comedy, - BRIEF speeches - allow people to disagree in other comments - establishment or radical - but from ALL bits of the spectrum - yes - the liberals, (leadership too), all the religious types, unions etc - but also "radicals" -
practicals . . . .
the idea itself creates momentum.
must log off!
from13/10/6, react to c in c - army comments - despite flak + disparu comments
Pointless, BUT...
14.10.2006 14:32
But have no fear, you can still block it's communications to home - Falsane 365 is a year-round blockade of the Trident base at Port Clyde.
They'll need experts, high level personnel, contracts all going physically going in and out of the base, before they can get a new Trident built.
If you can do a 48 hour shift on the blockade, get in contact via faslane365.org
wait a minute
Only as pointless as any engagement with current democracy...
17.10.2006 12:19
Things like the war went through Parliament, with there being no chance of the Government actually being defeated unless the Tories joined with the Labour left - does that mean we shouldn't have pressurised elected representatives because it was already a foregone conclusion? Do you think things like this going through with no debate make it easier or harder for them to continue of their destructive path?
And BTW, I'm told the signatures are addedd manually, so everything appears, but not til the next working day.
Joanna