The world is facing a period of unprecedented danger. At the end of January, the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the hands of the Doomsday Clock forward. They are now set to 90 seconds to midnight – the closest to global catastrophe the world has ever been. The main, but not the only reason is the war in Ukraine.
Early in the course of the war Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg asserted ‘we must prepare for the fact that it could take years’. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned last August, the world had entered ‘a time of nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War’.
Despite many warnings that the war could provoke nuclear confrontation, President Biden and Prime Minister Sunak are still calling for escalation. Encouraged by this, in December President Zelensky called on Nato allies for 500 more tanks; in January he appealed for some of the latest fighter jets.
Ukraine is a war fought on two fronts – the invasion of Russia and resistance of Ukraine; and a proxy war between the US-Nato and Russia. Sadly, Ukrainians are the all-round losers. One year on, the statistics tell the story.
According to UNHCR sources:
over 8,000 civilians are recorded dead and almost 13,500 more injured – the actual figures are considered to be much higher
approximately 8 million Ukrainians are internally displaced
another 8m have crossed Ukraine’s borders, including 2.8m to Russia and 1.6m to Poland, and
nearly 18 million Ukrainians are ‘in dire need’ of humanitarian assistance.
Alice Mahon, 28 September 1937 to 25 December 2022
We reproduce below Labour CND Chair Carol Turner’s tribute to Alice Mahon, former MP for Halifax and Vice President of CND
The death on xmas morning of Alice Mahon, Labour MP for Halifax 1987 to 2005, is a sad loss for the labour movement and for all those of us who knew her. There are few like Alice in the House of Commons nowadays – an MP who remained outspokenly committed to peace, socialism, and internationalism. She will be very missed by those of us who share those values.
Alice was a member of the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs, and an avid Morning Star reader. She was a feminist, hounded by the anti-abortion lobby during general elections, a former nurse and NUPE shop steward who held the NHS to be Britain’s most popular institution and was scandalised and ashamed when New Labour supported its partial privatisation.
Alice was proud of her West Yorkshire constituency and its working class history, and angry that successive government failed to provide the economic support the area needed and deserved. She was an anti-racist who loved that some of her grandchildren shared an African-Caribbean as well as a Yorkshire heritage.
A staunch supporter of the Good Friday peace process, Alice was an internationalist who campaigned for Palestine and for many people and liberation movements who found themselves on the wrong side of western imperialism.
Peace was central to Alice’s values, her opposition to militarism was unbending. A lifelong opponent of nuclear weapons, she was a Vice President of CND and a patron of Stop the War at the time of her death.
I met her in person for the first time shortly after her election to parliament when she spoke at a Labour CND annual conference in Manchester Town Hall, We were friends from then on, campaigning for peace and against wars together for over 40 years. At the end of the 1990s, Alice became co-chair of Labour CND with Jeremy Corbyn.
In 1990 she was one of the first MPs to join the Committee to Stop War in the Gulf, set up by CND in anticipation of the invasion which came in February 1991. She was horrified when Tony Blair supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq. As well as taking part in Stop the War activities, set up Iraq Liaison to campaign against the war amongst all the political parties in parliament.
Alice tabled an Early Day Motion which brought together the biggest show of parliamentary opposition to the war. EDM 927 was signed by 162 MPs – LibDems, Plaid Cymru and Scottish Nationalist as well as many of her Labour colleagues and including four ex-ministers.
In one of her regular news releases at the time, Alice said of Blair: ‘The Prime Minister has failed miserably to make a case for military action… Briefings by ministers are pathetic – lightweight statements of belief with no facts whatsoever about the actual situation.’
Alice was also a well-respected UK member of the Nato Parliamentary Assembly, even chairing one of its sub-committees for a time. A fierce opponent of its military missions, her involvement in its parliamentary structures didn’t stop her from attacking Nato. Sadly, this would likely see her removed from today’s Parliamentary Labour Party.
As with Iraq, so with former Yugoslavia. Alice and I set up the Committee for Peace in the Balkans at outbreak of civil war in the 1990s. She was one of a very few western parliamentarians who opposed western intervention – believing it had little to do with protecting Yugoslav citizens and anticipating the likely outcome.
Despite media vilification, she remained adamantly opposed to Nato bombing campaigns and visited Yugoslavia several times during the 1999 bombing, one of the very few western politicians to do so.
She spent time on the round-the-clock picket of Downing Street set up by Yugoslav expats during the 1999 bombardment, visited the Chinese Embassy in London to express condolences when Nato bombed its Belgrade Embassy, and travelled to the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal on Yugslavia) in the Hague to lobby chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte.
Shortly after she left parliament, Alice resigned from the Labour Party, disgusted by New Labour war-mongering. She rejoined when Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader. On her death he Alice was ‘an utterly brilliant working-class campaigner, one of one of my best comrades in parliament’.
Outspoken on politics, on a personal level Alice was respectful of colleagues and opponents alike, treating all equally regardless of rank or status. Her warm manner veiled some sharp insights which poked out from time to time in a surprisingly acerbic humour – like when she’s quipped to Blair on the floor of the Commons during an Iraq debate: ‘Who’s next, North Korea?’
Alice was a kind and generous human being. It won her respect and many friends, and together with her hard work on behalf of her constituency, made for a growing majority at each election. A walk around the town centre with her would usually take considerably longer than it should, as she stopped every 100 yards or so to exchange a few words with the dozens of Haligonians who greeted her.
Alice loved Halifax. She fought hard for her constituents first as a Calderdale councillor then as an MP. She lived in a modest bungalow in Northowram village, a couple of miles from Halifax town centre and not much further from where she was born and grew up.
Back from London most weekends to be with her family, she and Tony, her husband and best friend who died less than a year before her, spent evenings in their local chatting to mates and telling stories about the weird and woolly doings of parliament.
Alice was an MP whose political commitment and loyalty to friends, comrades, and community deserves to be an example to every one of today’s parliamentarians and would-be parliamentarians of tomorrow. She was, however, much more than that – someone who worked hard at living a life in line with her socialist principles.
* This obituary first appeared in the Morning Star 15-01-23
CND‘s tribute to Alice Mahon Jeremy Corbyn‘s tribute to Alice Mahon
Many of our supporters will be aware that Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, an articulate anti-racist, a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights, and a founder member of Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) was suspended and subsequently expelled from the Labour Party in December 2022. Her expulsion was based on an alleged rule breach which had taken place more than a year earlier.
Naomi was elected as a CLP rep on Labour’s National Executive Committee in August last year, one of the Grassroots 5 candidates which Labour CND, Campaign for Labour Party Democracy, and many other Labour Party organisations and campaigns supported. Her expulsion disenfranchises the thousands of members who voted for her and the many CLPs who nominated her.
Naomi’s campaign for election to the NEC began after the alleged breach had taken place, well before her autumn suspension. She was allowed to run for election, and she was issued with Labour Party credentials for annual conference. But when rolled up to Liverpool in September, her pass was revoked and Naomi was barred from the conference centre.
This case is one of many in today’s Labour Party. Labour CND believes it isn’t fair and it isn’t right. We have signed a statement condemning her expulsion and calling for her reinstatement. You can read it here and add your name if you wish.
Labour CND Committee member Rae Street put forward a motion to the Annual Meeting of the National Assembly of Women which was passed unanimously. NATO, they agreed, threatens world stability and agreed to oppose the return of NATO nuclear weapons to Lakenheath.
The National Assembly of Women has always recognised the dangers to world stability of the military alliance, NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Since the end of the Cold War it has , contrary to what was promised to President Gorbachev, expanded in Europe to the east up to Russia’s borders. While completely condemning Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, there is no doubt that NATO expansion and military exercises on Russia’s borders exacerbated the situation. NATO is now aiming to be global, making bi-lateral agreements across the Indo-Pacific region and even with states in Latin America. It still holds a policy of not only holding nuclear weapons but using them first. It also blocked its members signing the UN negotiated Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Two recent events give more concern.
One is NATO’s expansion to include Finland and Sweden, which was accompanied by support for Turkey’s war policy and oppression of the Kurds, and
The return of US/NATO nuclear weapons to the RAF?USAF Lakenheath base in Suffolk.
The National Assembly of Women therefore resolves to work with other civil society alliances
to oppose the US dominated militaristic, expansionist NATO, and
to oppose the return to Lakenheath of NATO nuclear weapons and nuclear capable, F-35 aircraft, designed to carry B61-12 nuclear missiles.
Jeremy Corbyn was one of the many MPs to joins staff at the CND stand
CND’s Wages Not Weapons theme proved a winner at Labour’s 2022 annual conference, and the CND stand did a roaring trade throughout the four days in Liverpool. Awareness of US nukes coming to Lakenheath had also grown, and it too was a recurring theme of discussion with passers-by.
The number of Young Labour and Labour Student visitors to our fringe meeting was up on previous years, reflecting how the danger of nuclear conflict over Ukraine was driving the issue into people’s consciousness. We were delighted too with the amount of follow up at the CND stand after the fringe meeting.
In a personal view of Labour’s 2022 conference, Labour CND Vice Chair Christine Shawcroftsuggests it’s slipping back into being a leadership rally
I didn’t have very high hopes for this year’s Annual Conference, but even so I was bitterly disappointed. You’d think that the Forde Report had never even mentioned factional behaviour by Party staff, and certainly not pronounced it completely unacceptable. Several delegates found themselves suspended or even expelled in the run up to Conference, two north London CLPs with very large card votes found that all their delegates were barred from attending Conference, and even a newly elected NEC member found herself suspended. Again.
We campaigned for many years to transform Annual Conference from a leadership rally to a democratic, decision- making Conference. We managed to get rid of the pointless time-wasting videos, the sofa chats, the unamendable Policy Commission documents (not to mention the policy statements which had never been anywhere near the National Policy Forum) and make more time for debate from rank and file delegates. Yet it’s all creeping back – and when there was time allocated for debate, it became clear that PPCs were being called to speak much more frequently than ordinary delegates.
The ‘theme’ of Conference could have been ‘Rolling Back Democracy’. There was an NEC Rule Change for the constituency reps on the Conference Arrangements Committee (CAC) to be elected by Conference delegates in future, instead of by a ballot of all members (usually called OMOV for One Member One Vote). The proof that this is a really backward step was shown on Tuesday, when the National Constitutional Committee (NCC) reps were elected by Conference delegates. The mis-named ‘Labour to Win’ faction had placed flyers calling for a vote for their candidates on the delegates’ seats. Now, leafletting inside the Conference centre is strictly prohibited by the Rules. Many times, I would try and sneakily give out CLPD leaflets, only to be stopped by Party staff. Putting leaflets out in the actual Conference chamber could not have been done in secret. After protests, there was an announcement from the platform the following day that there was to be no leafletting in Conference – coincidentally, there were no more elections left anyway.
However, the days weren’t all doom and gloom. The fringe meetings were often very useful, informative and inspiring. The CND fringe meeting was particularly good, with brilliant speeches from scientist and campaigner Stuart Parkinson, our dedicated supporter of peace and disarmament Jeremy Corbyn MP, and MPs Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Beth Winter. Our own Kate Hudson had also been due to speak, but had been unable to get a train due to the intransigence and refusal to negotiate of Avanti North West. There was standing room only at the meeting, and many young people, lots of whom made good contributions when the meeting was opened to the floor. The chilling descriptions of what a nuclear war would actually be like exposed all the macho posturing and demands for leaders to say that yes, they would ‘push the button’ if it came to it. What they’re promising to do would destroy civilisation and possibly the human race as well.
In her latest climate blog for Labour CND, Sam Mason takes issue with the GMB composite at the forthcoming Trades Union Congress arguing true solidarity with our sisters and brothers across the world means public investment in socially useful production not more weapons of mass destruction
In 2007, Nicholas Stern made this much referenced quote: “Climate change is a result of the greatest market failure the world has seen. The evidence on the seriousness of the risks from inaction or delayed action is now overwhelming. We risk damages on a scale larger than the two world wars of the last century. The problem is global and the response must be a collaboration on a global scale.”
THIS DEFINITION of “market failure” is said to stem from free markets failing to maximise society’s welfare. Something which we are witnessing to catastrophic ends in the respective energy and climate crises. Evidence if it was ever needed, free market economics and the privatisation it walks hand in hand with are not the best way to address the global challenges facing us. This includes climate change but also increasing inequality, public health, diminishing social protections, decent unionised work and threats of war and nuclear conflict.
One area which remains free of the market mantra is defence spending, however. Of course, private sector companies benefit from this but it is through the investment of public money, and for ends that do nothing to meet the needs of workers and people, here in the UK or globally. Something well understood by the former Lucas Aerospace Shop Stewards committee in developing their Alternative Corporate plan for socially useful production in the 1970’s.
The GMB notion, misleadingly entitled economic recovery and manufacturing jobs, is an agenda for warmongering and nuclear weapons
WHILE THE IDEAS of worker’s plans as espoused by the Lucas shop stewards have gained some traction in recent times across the labour and climate movements, unfortunately some industrial unions are still pinning job creation plans to the mast of defence spending. The GMB motion to be debated at the postponed TUC Congress in October under the misleading title of “economic recovery and manufacturing jobs”, is an agenda for warmongering and nuclear weapons, taking us in completely the wrong direction.
Contrary to what the motion says, a lack of investment in defence spending is not the reason for our lack of funding in our public services. The proposals in this motion would further reduce vital monies for these as well as investment in renewable energy, urgently needed retrofit and insulation of our homes and, essentially the creation of many more jobs including in the defence ‘company’ towns of Barrow.
However, Pakistan is also a heavy IMF indebted nation and nuclear weapons state. None of which helped avert this recent catastrophe or will assist in the post flooding crisis of food shortages, displacement, destruction of livelihoods and health risks.
IF THE GMB MOTION PASSES at the TUC, this will be a catastrophic failure of the labour movement towards the global south. To show true solidarity with our sisters and brothers across the world, it’s time we reassessed our own transition. This includes support for debt cancellation, and a programme of global public investment in socially useful production, rather than collaborating in more weapons of mass destruction.
Join Labour CND Chair Carol Turner and her guests at our Arise Festival session, Tuesday 26 July, part of the Leftie Lunchtime 1-hour events . Register here and find out more
with — Jess Barnard, Young Labour — Lindsey German, author How a Century of War Changed the Lives of Women & STW — Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, Jewish Voice for Labour — and a special guest
Benners decorating the fence at Lakenheath air base during CND’s first protest
Labour CND’s suggested motion for this year’s annual party conference opposes the return of US nuclear weapns to Britain. It notes that US nukes left Lakenheath in 2008 which was consistent with the then Labour Government’s ambition for a ‘global zero’ eradication of nuclear weapons through multilateral disarmament, and recommits Labour to nuclear disarmament and a world without nuclear weapons. We urge you to ask your local Labour Party to adopt this as policy and put it forward for conference.
Labour CND’s 2022 AGM will take place on Monday 18 July at 7pm, with our guest speaker CND Gen Sec Kate Hudson. If you are a member of the Labour Party and of CND you are eligible to participate and should notify Labour CND of your intention at labourcnd@gmail.com
When you do so, you’ll be sent details of how to make nominations and submit motions, together with a copy of Labour CND’s Constitution/Standing Orders.
TIMETABLE Motions & nominations open Monday 4th July Close after 11 days (Monday 11th July Motions circulated to those who have registered, asking for any proposed amendments by 14th July. There will be a registration process to indicate eligibility. Deadline to join CND of 11th.
