24 March 2008 - Caroline’s speech at Aldermaston

Introduction

It’s brilliant to see you here today.  And we’re here because Aldermaston is at the heart of Britain’s nuclear weapons system.

This bomb factory has the potential to unleash unimaginable death and destruction – far worse even than the atrocities at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

And so we have a very important message for our government, and our message is this:

- That the possession of nuclear weapons is illegal and immoral

- That the cost of Trident replacement is outrageous and obscene

- That nuclear weapons are utterly irrelevant to the real threats that we face today, and

- That we demand an end to the bomb factory here at Aldermaston

Government Hypocrisy

The hypocrisy of this government, in maintaining and further developing our own nuclear weapons, whilst waging illegal wars to stop others from obtaining them, is truly breathtaking.

Because Britain didn’t need to go to Baghdad to try to find WMD – they’re right here, on our doorstep, at Aldermaston and at Faslane.

So what moral authority can we possibly have to lecture countries like Iran about not developing nuclear weapons, when we ourselves are continuing to do just that?

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is made up of 2 pledges: non-nuclear states agree not to acquire nuclear weapons, provided that nuclear states begin a serious process of getting rid of theirs.  If we don’t keep our side of that bargain, we can hardly be surprised if others don’t keep theirs.

When I’ve asked Ministers who they think we’re going to be aiming our nuclear weapons at, they admit that they’ve no idea, but that since life is full of unexpected threats, we need to keep them “just in case”.

Yet if powerful countries like the UK say we need nuclear weapons for our security, how can we possibly deny such so-called “security” to countries which genuinely feel insecure.

And so we say:

- Replacing Trident will increase the danger of nuclear proliferation

- Replacing Trident will contribute to a new arms race

- Replacing Trident will make the world a much more dangerous place.

Today’s real Security Challenge

Investment in a new strategic nuclear system is not only an irrelevance; it is also an unforgiveable diversion of resources from the real priorities.

Because every pound spent on Trident is a pound not spent on responding to the real threat we face – the threat and reality of climate change.

Recent estimates suggest that when the annual costs of maintaining a replacement for Trident throughout its life are added in, we’re looking at a bill of around £76 billion.

And that money is desperately needed elsewhere, for energy efficiency, energy conservation, and renewable energy, making us more secure by reducing the impacts of climate change, and by ending our dependence on foreign oil.

£16 billion would insulate all 16 million homes in Britain that are currently uninsulated, saving 4% of UK carbon emissions and helping to prevent 20,000 annual cold-related deaths.

£30 billion would provide 3,500 off-shore turbines, supplying 15% of UK electricity use.

And so we say:

To use that amount of money on a project that will make Britain and the world a far more dangerous place is politically irresponsible, morally bankrupt, and economically obscene.

Conclusion

We know that true security doesn’t lie in nuclear weapons systems; it doesn’t lie in ever greater military hardware; and it doesn’t lie in obscenely high defence budgets.

We’ll only be more secure:

- when we support a Nuclear Weapons Convention banning all such weapons

- when we tackle the root causes of conflict – the poverty and injustice increasing around the world

- when we tackle real threats like climate change, which is itself a weapon of mass destruction

- when we end not only the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, but the brutal Israeli occupation and bring justice to the Palestinian people.

We’re always told that politicians are in search of a legacy.

Well here’s one for Gordon Brown, a truly noble legacy – to rid this country of our illegal nuclear arsenal, and put our resources instead into tackling the real social and environmental challenges we face.

- And so we pay tribute to the women of the Aldermaston peace camp

- We pledge solidarity with the Block the Builders peaceful campaign of direct action

- We celebrate the strength and diversity and creativity of our wonderful movement.

So thank you for being here - together we really will make a difference.

ENDS