British election issue on Nuke Subs:

A "Vanguard" nuclear armed submarine leaving its base in Scotland.

NUCLEAR SUBS ELECTION
ISSUE IN BRITAIN:

Cameron plumps for 4 new subs:

Miliband wobbles on nuclear "deterrent":

Britain's much vaunted "nuclear deterrent" of nuclear submarines armed with American Trident missiles has become a contentious issue in the British general election campaign, with Defence Secretary Michael Fallon pledging last week that a Conservative-led government would replace the Vanguard-class nuclear submarines with four new nuclear missile carriers. Fallon’s election promise followed a statement by Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon, in which she said Trident was a “red line” issue the SNP would not support.

In the event of a hung Parliament, Labour may seek to form a minority government in an informal coalition with SNP. Critics, including Fallon of the Conservative Party, argue that Labour would abandon the UK’s nuclear weapons program to secure power. Shadow Labour Defense Secretary Vernon Coaker rejected the idea, insisting last week Labour was committed to renewing Britain’s nuclear weapons program, which is set to cost taxpayers £100 billion over the course of its deployment. Labour leader Ed Miliband said in January he supported renewing Trident, adding he is “not in favour of unilateral disarmament.” Despite being aware of the large-scale rank and file opposition within British Labour and Trade Unions, Miliband hasn't the guts to confront the Tories on this scandalous waste of money on an obsolete and morally unusable weapons system.

The extent of this opposition was apparent last year in Scotland with demonstrations in Glasgow and outside the Trident submarine base at Faslane. THOUSANDS of campaigners, including MSPs and Trade Union leaders, took part in a march against nuclear weapons. Organisers, the Scrap Trident Coalition, led the demonstration through the centre of Glasgow and held a rally in the city's George Square. The STC wants to see the UK Government dispose of nuclear weapons and instead use its budget to fund health, education and welfare.

The rally was part of a weekend of events which had workshops in George Square and a blockade of the Faslane Naval Base on the Clyde, where Trident missiles are stored. The demonstration grew in size as it wove its way through St Vincent Street, Argyle Street and Ingram Street. One of the march organisers, Brian Larkin, co-ordinator of the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre, said Trident should be scrapped and the money put into "human needs" instead. "We want the resources that go into Trident to fund disability benefits, create jobs, scrap the bedroom tax, fund the NHS(National Health Service), fund education and fund welfare," he said. Obviously you can't fund all of it with that but we want further cuts in the military. We don't want to be associated with NATO, we want Scotland to take a different tack from the UK and to be true to itself. This time around there's a strong feeling against the current Con-LibDem Government's programme of austerity measures. The poorest people are paying the price; regular, ordinary working people. The momentum is moving in the nuclear disarmament movement. Now is the time to make a concerted effort to disarm Trident and not replace it with any other nuclear weapons system." Having Trident does not make the UK a safer place to be, he said. One hundred and eighty-seven countries in the world don't have nuclear weapons. What do we need them for?"

EIS president Susan Quinn said: "The EIS is a long-standing affiliate of the campaign for nuclear disarmament and are happy to support any opportunity to raise issues around Trident. "We see the ongoing funding of this project as a waste of public money especially in times of harsh cuts to spending in all areas of the public sector."

The Scrap Trident Coalition said 29 MSPs support their campaign. The SNP supports the removal of Trident from Scottish waters The death of former prime minister Baroness Thatcher also to featured on the agenda of the rally. Angela McCormick from the Scrap Trident Coalition said: "Margaret Thatcher brought US cruise missiles to Greenham Common and Trident to Scotland 30 years ago. Now David Cameron wants to continue spending £3 billion per year on Trident and its replacement. The Scrap Trident Coalition is united in demanding that the Government disarm its nuclear weapons, scrap the bedroom tax and fund welfare."

Scottish Police arresting protesters outside the Faslane nuclear sub base in Argyll

POLICE  made almost  50 arrests during a three-hour protest blockade at the home base of the UK's nuclear deterrent.  Campaigners chained themselves to each other and lay down at the entrance of the Faslane naval base in Argyll where submarines armed with Trident missiles are stationed. More than 100 supporters of the Scrap Trident campaign took part in the demonstration which began at 7am and saw 45 people arrested for alleged breach of the peace and resisting arrest. Police said 29 women and 16 men were arrested, amending an earlier total of 47.

The protest followed a march in Glasgow when up to 2,000 people called on the UK Government to dispose of nuclear weapons and spend the cash on health, education and welfare instead.  Campaigners underlined what they say is Scotland's opportunity to become nuclear weapon-free with the upcoming election. Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon has made it clear that the SNP would campaign  in this year's General Election for the removal of Trident from the banks of the Clyde. 


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