One of our old members, Norman Smith, was invited by the Sheffield Trade Union Council to address their November meeting. Records from an old website quote his address, and, to preserve it, we would like to reproduce it here.

In the not too distant future Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons will become obsolete and the Government has said a decision must be made on a replacement of the Trident system. The formal position is that there is going to be a White Paper but the CND has pressed for a Green Paper. The difference is that a Green Paper does not give definite proposals – it is much more of being a discussion document whereas a White Paper says that the Government is going to do this and that. There was supposed to be a public debate and then a debate in Parliament followed by a vote in Parliament. This is not how it happened when previous decisions were made about nuclear weapons. Parliament will have the final say but I am assuming that unless we can get the Government to change its mind it will be a whipped vote.

“Labour MPs. will be expected to vote for the Trident proposal. It will be interesting to see how many Labour rebels will vote against the proposals. The Liberal Democratic Party is to hold a Conference during the month of March to discuss the whole issue. The Conservatives are firmly in support of the replacement of Trident although one or two Conservatives are known to have doubts about continuing with the so-called nuclear deterrent.

“The Trident is installed in submarines and one of them is always on patrol at any one time. Each submarine can carry sixteen missiles carrying forty eight nuclear war heads. The submarines are made in Barrow-in- Furness but the missiles are made in the USA and leased to Britain. The nuclear war heads are made by the research establishment at Birfield in Berkshire.

“There is every sign that that establishment is gearing up to manufacture the Trident replacement. The Government calls the whole system ‘Britain’s Nuclear Deterrent’. Each warhead has an explosive power eight times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb.

“I call them: ‘Britain’s Weapons Of Mass Destruction.’ That is certainly what they are. I do not think that one can talk about Trident and its replacement in ethical terms. Knowing what we know about blast and radiation I believe it to be inconceivable that we should ever use nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons do not offer any defence whatsoever.

“Britain has signed the Non Proliferation Treaty which requires the original nuclear powers (Russia, USA, China, Britain and France) to abolish nuclear weapons World-wide through negotiations. Britain’s position in regard to eliminating nuclear weapons is that it will only jump when every other country has jumped. This is a disgraceful position for Britain.

“So, we have got these nuclear weapons which are illegal and immoral. The next question is, despite all that, can nuclear weapons actually defend us. This is a very important question. Nuclear weapons can do nothing to defend a country.

“The CND position is that the Government should give up Trident and then use all its resources to get negotiations going as envisaged under the Non- Proliferation Treaty. One country has got to start this process and CND believes that Britain should take that honorable position.

“If Britain does replace Trident it is sending a message to all other countries, including Iran. North Korea, and others, that it requires nuclear weapons but that they should not be allowed to have them.

“Then look at the enormous cost of replacing Trident – estimated to be between £25 billion and £96 billion. That money would be thrown away on the Trident replacement. We are in a new situation. of forthcoming obsolescence. If we do not seize this chance we will be stuck with these terrible weapons for decades to come.

“It really is a unique opportunity. I am glad to know that the TUC has at national level passed a resolution opposing the replacement of Trident. In Sheffield we are campaigning against it as strongly as we can and it would help our campaign if the Sheffield Trades Union Council would support our campaign.

“I am pleased to say that in Sheffield we have already signed up the two Bishops – the Anglican and the Catholic Bishops. Also in Sheffield the Methodist Church, the United Nations Association, and the Green Party, have also signed up. That is my case and I will leave it with you. Thank you very much.”

The report goes on to say that, as a result of this address,

the Delegate Meeting adopted unanimously the following Resolution:

That this Trades Union Council:

1. supports the CND Campaign opposing the replacement of the Trident nuclear weapon;
2. urges local MPs. to vote against the replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons; and
3. urges local MEPs to identify themselves with the campaign against the replacement of Trident nuclear weapons.”

The full article can be read here.

The full list of supporters of the No Trident Renewal Campaign was as follows:

• (Anglican) Bishop of Sheffield
• (Catholic) Bishop of Hallam Chair of Sheffield District of Methodist Churches
• Sheffield Central Quakers
• Sheffield Green Party
• United Nations Association in Sheffield
• Sheffield Trades Union Council
• Women’s International League For Peace and Freedom (Sheffield Branch)