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Labour CND chair awarded Ron Todd Peace Prize

Veteran nuclear disarmament campaigner and Labour CND Chair Walter Wolfgang (pictured below) was awarded this year’s Ron Todd Peace Prize in a ceremony at the Marx Memorial Library in March.

Todd was General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, predecessor of Unite from 1985 until his retirement in 1992. He led Britain’s biggest union in the years when nuclear disarmament was at the heart of Labour’s annual conference debates. After his death in 2005, the Rod Todd Foundation was set up and has awarded annual prizes for outstanding achievement in areas close to the former General Secretary’s heart.

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CND book launch

CND General Secretary Kate Hudson (pictured right) launched her new book, CND at 60: Britain’s most enduring mass movement, at Friends House on 8 March. In conversation with Victoria Brittain (pictured left), she discussed what prompted her to update CND’s history and read passages from her book before answering audience questions.

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Labour CND joins Saudi visit protest

Labour CND supporters were in evidence at the protest over Mohammad bin Salman’s state visit on 7 March, including Hannah Kemp-Welch pictured here. Hundreds gathered at Downing Street to tell Prime Minister Theresa May ‘Crown Prince Not Welcome’.

Shadow International Development Secretary Kate Osamor spoke at the rally, as did Labour MPs Andy Slaughter, Chris Williamson, and others. The Green Party was there too, represented by Deputy Leader Amelia Womack, and Sinn Fein by Joe Dwyer. Earlier in the day Jeremy Corbyn made a strong statement in parliament denouncing Saudi’s abysmal human rights record.

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CND at 60: book launch

CND invites you to the launch of CND at 60, a new book by Kate Hudson, General Secretary of CND.

This book is timed to coincide with CND’s 60th anniversary, drawing on archive material and interviews with activists from across the decades, and situating CND’s current work in the context of the Trump presidency and increasing global tensions around nuclear weapons.

Listen to Kate Hudson read from CND at 60 here:

Register for the event here.

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London protest at Saudi Crown Prince visit

Saudi Arabia has one of the worst human rights records in the world. We don’t believe Britain should be selling arms to regimes like Saudi. But Prime Minister May has invited the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman to visit Britain. He’s be arriving this week and an ad hoc group including CAAT, Quakers, STW, Amnesty International, Peace Pledge Union, Arab Organisation for Human Rights and many others have organised a protest – see poster below for details.

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Labour Representation Committee report

Three Labour CND reps participated in the 2018 LRC conference and annual meeting. Walter Wolfgang, former Labour National Executive Committee member, moved our motion in support of a Defence Diversification Agency, which was adopted nem con by the LRC:

The Labour Representation Committee notes that the actions of US President Trump have increased the possibility of a nuclear war.

The Labour Representation Committee commits itself to campaign in the Labour Party to achieve:

  1. A clear commitment that the Labour government will sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which implies scrapping the Trident replacement.
  2. The setting up by the Labour Party of a Shadow Defence Diversification Agency as advocated by the 2017 Trades Union Congress. This agency to report annually to the Labour Party conference until Labour in government has established a Defence Diversification Agency.
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LATEST: Defence Diversification Agency

Labour CND committee member Chris Butler submitted a comment on the Defence Diversification Agency to Labour’s Policy Forum website. It’s already sparked a lively exchange, and we hope others will engage – and perhaps consider using Chris’s comments as the basis for a motion to your branch or constituency party.

Support for a Defence Diversification Agency was adopted by 2017 Trade Union Congress, as we reported at the time.

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About Labour’s Democracy Review

The Labour Party Democracy Review was initiated by Jeremy Corbyn and is being conducted by his political secretary, former MP Katy Clark who reports that thousands of submissions, mainly by individuals, have already been received.

The Review has been discussed by the NEC at its October and November 2017 meetings, which received reports on the timetable and terms of reference. The January 2018 NEC took a preliminary report on the first stage of the Review.

When the Review is completed, Clark will report to Corbyn and Ian Lavery MP, Labour Party chair, who will advise the NEC on rule changes to be brought forward to annual conference.

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National Executive Committee Report

Jeremy Corbyn welcomed newly elected members Rachel Garnham, a former member of Labour CND executive committee, Yasmine Dar, and Jon Lansman to their first National Executive Committee meeting on 23 January, highlighting that the NEC had a female majority. A list of all NEC members is available here.

All members of the NEC are members of the National Policy Forum which oversees the development of party policy and forms the basis of Labour’s general election manifesto. The NEC is also responsible for party rules and candidate selection processes.

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