Trident will cause defence job losses – New Report
A new report shows the net impact of going ahead with the replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system will be to cause an overall reduction in defence employment, due to the need to scrap more labour- intensive conventional defence activities to pay for the system designed for the Cold War. The report, 'Trident, jobs and the UK economy' was launched at the TUC Congress. It includes a comprehensive analysis of jobs dependent on Trident, and of the other defence programmes that are put at risk to pay for its £76bn cost. Using official figures, the authors show the cancellation of surface ships, aircraft, armoured vehicles and RAF bases will endanger far more jobs than the relatively small numbers that would go were Trident replacement to be cancelled.
Kate Hudson, General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said: "The Chancellor is demanding up to 20% cuts from the MoD and has stated that the cost of Trident replacement will come from the main defence budget. So going ahead with Trident will have a devastating impact on non-nuclear defence manufacturing.
"Trident is cash-hungry whilst providing relatively few jobs. Hundreds of millions are to be spent with US-based contractors, providing nothing for the UK economy. Other areas of defence spending at risk from Trident generate far more employment per pound spent. Closing RAF bases and scrapping surface-ship programmes will cause significant job losses in the coming years, whereas cutting Trident would have little impact until at least 2016.
"The report makes clear that with relatively small investment the key facility dependent on Trident work – BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow – could be re-aligned towards the rapidly growing needs of the low- carbon economy. Precision marine engineering skills are perfect for developing wave and tidal energy systems where Britain could be a world leader. Diversifying into a market with strong domestic demand as well as huge export potential would provide much greater job security for shipyard workers. Relying almost entirely on a few MoD orders will always be a precarious formula."
The report, including an executive summary, is available at www.cnduk.org/tridentjobs
Campaign against Trident replacement
The outgoing head of armed forces Jock Stirrup said this week: “...better to scrap Trident than downgrade”. The government would seem to be favouring delay.
Whilst those in power try to work out what to do, let us raise our campaign to scrap altogether – write to your MP, to the prime minister and to his deputy. We have had a very successful summer of campaigning against Trident replacement, distributing many leaflets and sending off letters and postcards to MPs. We have had good responses from the public with most people we talked to being aghast at the cost of this useless relic of the cold war and ready to get rid of it. There is much more campaigning to do and we hope for our AGM this year to look again at the Nuclear Power issues and particularly those posed locally around Sheffield University and Forge Masters. The proposed date is Nov 17th at QMH but this will depend on the availability of a speaker but put the date in your diary now. We will appoint our officers at the AGM so if you would like to be secretary, treasurer or publicity person please let Kath know at the contact below.
Membership
Membership will become due as from the AGM. There is a proposal to increase this from its current £6/£4 to £8/£6
National CND Conference - An international conference organised by CND
National CND Conference will take place October 9th/10th (we will have a report at our next meeting). 10am–5.30pm Saturday 9th October Mary Ward House, 5 Tavistock Place, London WC1
This year's international conference looks at the prospects for nuclear disarmament and peace at home and abroad. Can the modest progress at the recent nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference be converted into action towards a safer nuclear free world or will negative developments from NATO and on missile defence and nuclear power throw us backwards towards proliferation and war? With sessions on Trident and nuclear abolition, US Missile Defence, NATO and the expansion of nuclear power.
Speakers include Caroline Lucas MP and Jeremy Corbyn MP, and activists from around the world including Joseph Gerson and Kevin Martin from the USA, Arielle Denis from France and Reiner Braun from Germany. Join the discussion and help plan the way forward. £10 waged / £5 concessions (includes post-conference reception).
Email Anne Schulthess at
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for more info.
Trident debate taken to the party conferences
CND has organised a number of fringe meetings which will see Trident and nuclear disarmament, as well as wider foreign policy issues, raised throughout the conference season.
Labour Party Conference
New leader, new foreign policy?
6pm Monday 27th September, St James' Building, Manchester
Mehdi Hasan (New Statesman), Diane Abbott MP, Eric Joyce MP, Yasmin Qureshi MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP and Kate Hudson
Conservative Party Conference
Future Defence: moving on from Trident?
6pm Monday 4th October, Novotel Hotel, Birmingham
Debate between John Glen MP and Kate Hudson, chaired by Deborah Haynes (Defence Editor, The Times)
And finally..
We thank and congratulate Richard Bakewell who recently succeeded in conquering the Three Peaks Walk as a sponsored event for Sheffield CND.
Next Meeting
20th October 2010 QMH 7.15pm
Click here for Dates for your Diary
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