Labour in nuclear weapons protest (UK)

[struggle4progress]

By David Williams
SAY no to nuclear weapons. That is the message to Gordon Brown from members of his own party in Leyton.

Last week the likely successor to Tony Blair said he was committed to retaining Britain's nuclear arsenal.

In the long term, this would mean spending billions on a replacement for the country's existing Trident missile system.

In response, Leyton's Labour party passed a resolution urging the government not to do so ...

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/walthamforest/walthamforestnews/display.var.814104.0.labour_in_nuclear_weapons_protest.php

[andypandy]

1. Brown

as chancellor Brown has more authority to make such a statement than any british politician including Blair. Brown isn't even at the zenith of his power, Blair is well past his.

if the US replaces Trident then the UK will buy into whatever submarine based BM system the US goes for, however it remains a possibility that the UK will plump for a tactical system based on the existing Tommahawk missile launched from the astute class of submarines that are expected to be ordered soon. its much cheaper, but it doesn't have the same deterent effect.

no political party in the UK has a non-nuclear policy and there is no desire for one amongst the voting public. given that the UK will be at war with someone or other for the next 30 years such a policy would be electoral suicide even if any mainstream politicians wanted it.

Blair was a member of CND throughout the 1970's and much of the eighties, yet he has sent British soldiers to war on more occasions than any prime minister in history. Brown makes him look like Ghandi.