Campaigns → Trident

Trident

Trident is the name of the UK’s independent nuclear deterrent based at Faslane on the Clyde . It is not independent  since it is US based and it is difficult in today’s geopolitics to see who it is deterring. The Scottish Bishops have consistently opposed nuclear defence.
'Our own Scottish Bishops have often echoed the peace demands of Pope Benedict, and Pope John Paul before him, and I am here to repeat it once more. Here at the gates of Faslane, there is no better place to say that it is not courageous of Britain to have these dreadful weapons of mass destruction. It is shameful to have them. If our government wished to truly be courageous it would unilaterally give up its nuclear deterrent, giving the witness and impetus for other nations to do the same'.
        
Cardinal O’Brien, Speech at Faslane, April 2011

2012

Image: Trident: No Where To Go A new report from Scottish CND shows that if Scotland voted for independence and maintained its anti-nuclear position then Britain would be left without any nuclear weapons. The report was also the subject of an article in the Guardian Read the full report here   Read More...

2011

MPs will be discussing nuclear weapons in a debate on "The cost of Trident nuclear missile and submarine replacement" at 4.30 pm on Wednesday 7 December in Westminster Hall, House of Commons. The debate has been initiated by Jeremy Corbyn MP, Vice Chair of CND.
Please use this opportunity to contact your MP about the billions of pounds that are being wasted on nuclear weapons.   Read More...
World church leaders have met in Edinburgh, to discuss plans to rid the world of nuclear weapons and to hold discussions with civic and political leaders. Earlier this week the leaders met with Bruce Crawford MSP and Cabinet Secretary for Parliamentary Business and Government Strategy to find out about the context of the nuclear debate in Scotland and the impact of the independence debate. The World Council of Churches group have also held talks with the Cross Party Group for Nuclear Disarmament in the Scottish Parliament.   Read More...
Image: Trident costs double - demand a review Ask your MP to sign EDM 1924 'Trident Review'
The Trident 'initial gate' report has announced that the expected cost of building the new nuclear weapon submarines has doubled from that first announced. The case for a full review of the policy is now clearer than ever.  Ask your MP to sign EDM 1924 'Trident Review' calling for a full reconsideration before the construction of replacement submarines begins. With cuts to spending hitting all areas of the public sector we must make it clear to MPs just how unacceptable it is to refuse to reconsider Britain's possession of nuclear weapons.   
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament condemned the decision to authorise billions of pounds of further spending on the Trident replacement programme, prior to the major decision point on the nuclear weapons system, not due to be taken until 2016. However, CND welcomed the launch of a government study into alternatives to Trident, to be led by Lib Dem Defence Minister Nick Harvey as providing the opportunity for other options – so far excluded for reasons of dogma rather than on an evidential basis – to be considered.   Read More...
16 April 2011

Here at the gates of Faslane, there is no better place to say that it is not courageous of Britain to have these dreadful weapons of massdestruction. It is shameful to have them. If our government wished to trulybe courageous it would unilaterally give up its nuclear deterrent, givingthe witness and impetus for other nations to do the same.

Trident is fast becoming obsolete, and we have the chance now to do theright thing and give it up. We have the chance to be peacemakers, echoingthe Easter desire of Jesus Christ for a lasting peace. We will all, I trust,continue working and praying together for this, and I thank you for thiswitness you all give today. May God bless each of you with deep peace, thisHoly Week and at Easter.   Read More...

Scottish CND has obtained a key Ministry of Defence document which explains why the Trident Replacement Initial Gate decision, due in September 2009, has been delayed for 18 months. The paper also reveals that the reactors on current British submarines are sub-standard.   Read More...

The Trade Union Prospect say that "Pressure to make cuts [at Faslane] was greater than the pressure to maintain a safe nuclear environment". Steve Jary, national secretary of the union was worried about the impact of moving nuclear safety posts into the private sector. The MoD's internal regulator is already concerned about safety procedures at the base. This latest news comes after a series of incidents, including the grounding of the Navy's newest submarine, HMS Astute, on Skye.

This was reported by Rob Edwards in the Sunday Herald   Read More...

February 2011 edition now available online.   Read More...

2010

Campaigners and commentators have pointed out that the government's National Security Strategy, published yesterday (18 October) undermines the case for renewing the Trident nuclear weapons system, to which ministers are committed.   Read More...
The BBC has reported that the Main Gate decision on the Trident replacement programme will be put back from 2014 to 2015, beyond the next general election. However this does not mean that Trident is on hold. A different decision, the Initial Gate, is imminent.   Read More...
Keeping Trident will cause defence job losses.   Read More...
Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien - The Hexham Debates Series, 20 FEBRUARY 2010, St. Mary’s Church, Hexham   Read More...
Christians have joined with other faith groups to issue a “call to repentance” over the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Protesting at the Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment in Berkshire yesterday (15 February), they declared that “the power of Trident is an affront to the power of God”.   Read More...
Scottish church leaders have intensified pressure on the Government to abandon plans to renew the Trident nuclear weapons system.   Read More...

2009

The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has been criticised for avoiding the issue of Trident in his speech to the Labour Party conference yesterday (29 September).   Read More...
The prime minister has told the United Nations that he is willing to cut the UK's fleet of Trident missile-carrying submarines from four to three.   Read More...
New research published by Greenpeace and backed by senior politicians has warned that the cost of replacing the UK’s Trident nuclear weapons system will be over £95 billion – in contrast to the roughly £20 billion earmarked by the government.   Read More...
Reception on 13 November 2009 in the Scottish Parliament for delegates attending the NATO Parliamentary Assembly   Read More...
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament today welcomed the formation of a new grouping of ex-ministers and retired senior military officers calling for multilateral nuclear disarmament.   Read More...
Scrap Trident, voters tell Brown. Money should go on health and education instead, survey finds. Article from The Independent.   Read More...
The Sunday Times has published a new poll which shows 61% of Scots are opposed to replacing Trident while only 24 % support the proposal. The survey of 1,040 people was carried out by MRUK between 7 and 13 August. Those who are opposed also hold their views more vociferously. 29% are strongly opposed to Trident replacement, plus 32% opposed. In contrast only 7% strongly supported the idea, with a further 17% saying they supported it.   Read More...
CND has called on new Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth MP to recognise how unpopular the government's Trident plans are and to delay the 'Initial Gate' decision as his first act in the job.   Read More...
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament today gave a mixed reaction to Gordon Brown's speech on nuclear power and nuclear proliferation.   Read More...
Transcript of a speech given by the Prime Minister on 17 March 2009   Read More...

2007

Remarks by Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, United Kingdom Carnegie International Nonproliferation Conference June 25, 2007   Read More...
Scottish CND welcomed the decision by the Scottish Parliament to say No to Trident.   Read More...
The leading Protestant and Catholic church leaders in Scotland have renewed their criticism on Britain’s commitment to nuclear weapons and have called for a major non-proliferation effort – echoing similar calls from civic and peace campaigners.   Read More...
How Scottish MPs voted...   Read More...
National Secretary, Richard McCready's article in the Scotsman, 12 March 2007   Read More...

"We are writing to you on behalf of Scotland’s major Churches to voice our opposition to the replacement of the Trident Nuclear Weapons System..."   Read More...

Speech by Cardinal O’Brien   Read More...

2006

Trident Defence White Paper   Read More...
The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has condemned the Government’s decision to go ahead with the renewal of the Trident missile system.   Read More...
National Secretary Richard McCready and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Alan McDonald, hand over our petition against the replacement of Trident to the Ministry of Defence.   Read More...
Statement from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. English and Welsh Catholic Bishops Call on UK Government to Set the Example by Decommissioning Nuclear Weapons   Read More...
The full text of Cardinal O'Brien's remarks at the end of the "Long walk for Peace". The Cardinal participated in a symbolic ‘foot washing’ for marchers at 1.00pm, at St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street, before walking to the Scottish Parliament for a rally at 3.00pm.   Read More...
Archbishop Mario Conti joined marchers taking part in the Long Walk for Peace from Faslane to the Scottish Parliament. The Archbishop walked with the marchers to Helensburgh and delivered a short address at Helensburgh Pier, before handing over a letter to be delivered to the Scottish Parliament.   Read More...
Cardinal welcomes 'heartening and encouraging letter'   Read More...
An ICM poll commissioned by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament shows that 59% of British people oppose the replacement of Trident, Britain’s nuclear weapons system. The poll results demonstrate a 5% increase in public opposition to Trident replacement over an identically phrased question from a MORI/Greenpeace poll from September 2005.   Read More...
A useful article by Paul Rogers giving political background to the proposals to replace Trident   Read More...
Statement by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland. 11 April 2006   Read More...
http://www.justiceandpeacescotland.org.uk/Campaigns/Trident.aspx