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Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Campaign to ban nuclear weapons in 2021



86 nations have signed up to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. 51 states have ratified the Treaty - but the UK has done neither, which is why the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is campaigning to get the UK Government to support the Treaty.


Back in the 80s those who were opposed to nuclear disarmament used to pretend that they were actually in favour of something they called “multilateral nuclear disarmament” to which they counterposed the supposedly irresponsible unilateral nuclear disarmament which was advocated by the peace movement and the left.


But of course, what the peace movement always really wanted - and what our Atlanticist opponents could not countenance was universal nuclear disarmament. Well now there is a treaty to which all nation states can sign up, committing those who do not yet have nuclear weapons not to obtain them, and those that have them to get rid of them.


Whilst we must continue to campaign for Labour to oppose the renewal of Trident, we need to go further and ensure that a future Labour Government joins the nations showing their commitment to peace by signing and ratifying the Treaty.


Details of how to support CND activity in January are online here. Labour Councillors can propose motions to support the Treaty based on the motion agreed by Manchester City Council.

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