News / Hundreds get behind campaign against Trident
A GROUP has been established in Shetland to advocate abolishing Faslane’s nuclear weapons programme – a fresh sign that interest in political activism in the islands looks set to continue following the independence referendum.
Shetland Against Trident has been formed by three local 20-somethings – Saul Day, Marshall Brill and Toby Sandison – and is designed to give a voice to islanders opposed to nuclear weapons.
A Facebook page was launched at the weekend and has already gained over 500 followers in just a couple of days.
Day said it was “simply one of the many new examples of post-referendum political activism taking place across Scotland”.
“Demand for change has been ignited, and it’s great to see so many people making an effort to sustain this momentum,” he said.
Day said the group had recognized that during debates ahead of last week’s referendum, Trident was “a focal point brought to the attention of the electorate on many occasions, and quickly became a heated topic. For many, one of the biggest motivators for Scottish independence was the abolishment of Trident”.
Some estimates suggest the overall cost, including maintenance, could exceed £100 billion over the project’s 30-year lifetime. Shetland Against Trident says that sum could instead be used to cancel university tuition fees for three decades
Day said that once members of the public became aware of the cost “even those who didn’t favour independence also began to recognise and understand the immorality and impracticality of this extortionately expensive white elephant”.
He said Shetland Against Trident hopes to initiate other campaign groups or movements to conjure support within their own local areas, hopefully establishing similar groups or organisations with the same motives and principles.
“With a disseminated approach to developing this campaign, we hope that, in the long run, this will act as a catalyst for nationwide representation in opposing its renewal and existence all together,” Day said.
“The group is currently in the process of contacting other campaign groups and organisations that came to birth during the referendum, with an aim to promote and develop a localised yet collective approach to abrogating Trident.”
He added the group would “seek to consult political figures with the intent to gain support and representation”.
Their first plea is for Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael to sign a House of Commons early day motion on the CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) website calling on the UK Government to “cancel plans to replace the Trident nuclear weapon submarines, arguing the case on both security and spending grounds”: http://act.cnduk.org/lobby/EDM37
A final decision on replacing Trident will not now be taken until after the next General Election in May 2015, following an intervention by the Liberal Democrats earlier in this parliament.
As a government minister Carmichael is not permitted to sign the early day motion as it would breach the ministerial code.
The Lib Dems’ website sets outs its position on Trident. The party views the current nuclear deterrent as “out-dated and expensive” and advocates only replacing some of the four submarines.
“This would keep Britain safe while allowing us to move down the nuclear ladder in a realistic and credible way,” it states. “While we cannot predict the future, making this first move on the road to international nuclear disarmament is the right thing to do.”
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