Category: Featured

My position against nuclear weapons is an instinctive one and was formed for 2 reasons.

Firstly in my history lessons at school I remember not quite believing someone had taken the decision to kill so many people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The pictures of death and destruction in the text books were haunting. The image of the mushroom cloud menacing.

Secondly I had my precious daughter in 1987. In the years leading up to this significant event in my life I remember images and interviews about the Women of Greenham on the TV and in newspapers.

A Greenham Common campaigner was interviewed. She spoke about meeting a young woman from Japan. She explained that Japanese women after the nuclear explosion were never congratulated on being pregnant. Rather the women waited anxiously for 9 months for their child- wondering what disabilities or ‘deformities’ their child might have: whether they would survive at all.

I remember during my pregnancy taking all the advice I could. I stopped smoking and drinking. I knew that I was completely responsible for what this woman from Greenham described as the ‘safe passage of life’. The’ safe passage of life’ of my daughter.The mothers in Japan had that responsibility taken away from them. So this was my starting point.

I relate absolutely with Angie Zelter well known anti Trident and Peace campaigner. Angie boldly ‘reclaims’ the initials AWE. AWE is used to describe the Atomic Weapons Establishments in Burghfield and Aldermarston. Angie changes these initials to mean Atomic Weapons Eradication.

Like Angie I believe that everything that is happening is connected. Despite attempts to blame ‘religion’ there is no doubt in my mind that nations who have the major nuclear weapons are behind most of the current conflicts. These conflicts are in reality about control of significant resources.

War represents a deeply entrenched patriarchal culture. Where qualities that are attributed to ‘real men’ (strong, hard, dominant, combative) are valued above all others. This year we have remembered those who died in the 1^st World War. There has been much emphasis on the idea of defending honour and nation. These qualities largely ignore women’s values, and the values of men who reject patriarchy.

Angie said last year ‘The aggressive, controlling, narrow, hierarchical, growth at all costs culture, impacts women all over the world from their being ignored, de-valued, and bullied, to their giving birth to deformed and disabled children, to having little access to food or land, to being raped and killed.’ Her words resonate.

There are 40 Trident warheads per submarine. Each of these could kill over 1 million people. Then there is the suffering endured by those who die from secondary radiation exposure. All of this destruction – at the push of a button. Unthinkable. Being opposed to nuclear weapons is about taking responsibility for all life – for humanity. Labour values.

I am pleased that Trident will be part of the Strategic Review on defence under a Labour Government. The review does not go far enough in my opinion.

Senior Army officials spoke out at the time that this Government did not include a review of Trident in its 2010 Strategic Defence Review. Increasingly there is a view that getting rid of nuclear weapons is the way to achieve a safer world.

At last weeks CND Labour AGM someone said ‘I think that we have lost our fear. That the memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has faded and people are no longer worried about a nuclear attack’. Sadly I think they are right.

Replacing Trident would cost between £30-100 billion. Imagine what else that money could be spent on. We talk a lot about inhumanity in the Labour Party – the cruel Bedroom Tax, Welfare Reform, cuts to Legal Aid and Refuges. What could be crueller and a greater risk to humanity than a nuclear war? I believe that scrapping Trident would provide the moral leadership this country needs.

Scrapping Trident would mean each and every one of us could take responsibility for that safe passage in life.

Jane Basham was Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate in South Suffolk in 2015 where she recieved one of the largest increases in vote share in the region. In 2013 Jane won the first round of voting in the Police and Crime Commissioner elections. She is Eastern Region representative on Labour CND Executive.

This article was first published on LabourList.