The Issue of Trident

In this issue, one of our members Joyce Yendole focuses on the issue of Trident and why she thinks it is a an unnecessary cost.

Since, at this time of national austerity, most areas of government being asked to prepare plans for up to forty percent cuts in spending, I hope you share with me the outrage that Britain’s nuclear weapons programme is being protected in its entirety. The Coalition government in Westminster is pressing ahead with the replacement vessels for the Trident missile system.

As you already know, part of the Coalition agreement allows Liberal Democrats to campaign separately on the issue of Trident. You might be interested therefore that, as a member and office-holder within the party, a motion on this topic has been submitted to Cowley Street for the upcoming Federal Conference in Liverpool. In this motion, the Say No to Trident group on Lib Dem Act is asking Conference to do away completely with Britain’s nuclear weapons.

In a time when everybody is being asked to make sacrifices, it is surely wholly wrong that spending on this useless system is being ring-fenced. It is simply neither fair nor progressive that funds are still being pumped into nuclear weapons. The Cold War is over, why should the people of Britain still be paying for it? It is my sincere hope that should you attend conference this year and that, when the motion “Nuclear Weapons and the Financial Crisis” is debated, that you should give it your full support.

Joyce Yendole