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.
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.
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:
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:
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.
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.
Congrats Rachel, Jasmine, Jon!
Elections results are in for the three additional Constituency Labour Party places on the National Executive that 2017 annual conference agreed on. The three Centre Left Grassroots Alliance (CLGA) candidates swept the board. Chosen to represent the CLGA coalition from among 48 would-be contenders, when the results were announced on 15 January, they’d swept the board – beating the right wing Labour First / Progress slate by an overwhelming majority.
Rachel Garnham, a former member of Labour CND Executive Committee, is a constituency secretary and former rep on Labour’s National Policy Forum. Standing for an NEC place for the first time a first time, her running mates were Jasmine Dar and Jon Lansman. Jon, a founder of Momentum stresses his commitment to a transformative government; and Jasmine, a Manchester City councillor emphasises she’s committed to ‘actions not just words’.
Sunday 10 December
Helen John, a co-founder of Greenham Women’s Peace Camp and a long-time nuclear disarmament and anti-war activist, died on 5 November aged 80.
A public memorial for Helen’s friends and supporters will take place at the Kirkgate Centre, Shipley BD18 3EH at 2pm Sunday 10 December, arranged by Helen’s son Magnus.
There will be a short humanist service, which includes an open mic for those who want to say a few words about Helen. The celebrant was at Greenham Common and is a long-time a member of Yorkshire CND who knew her.
This ceremony is held near Otley and Keighley where Helen lived in the latter part of her life, and nearby the care home where she spent her final years.
Labour CND mourns the loss of Helen John, who died on the evening of Sunday 5 November 2018, aged 81. Many supporters will remember Helen’s involvement in Labour CND and her appearances on our platforms and in other party arenas, speaking and lobbying at annual conference and elsewhere.
Continue reading “Helen John, 30 September 1936 to 5 November 2017”
Today the Morning Star reported that BAE Systems is set to announce the loss of 1000 jobs from it’s jet fighter construction sites in Lancashire. This will produce tremendous hardship for the individuals concerned as well as for the community and ultimately the Country.
This workforce is highly skilled and highly paid. Once again we see that the Arms Industry does not provide secure jobs. Steve Turner of Unite asks that the next generation of fighter jets be built in this country. This is NOT the answer. People are not buying these planes, hence the job losses.
The only way to provide secure, sustainable jobs is to look to diversify the Arms Industry, producing socially useful products, not planes designed to kill, often innocent men, women and children. Such planes as these are being used by Saudi Arabia to bomb Yemen adding to the devastation of that Country. We now have a chance to look seriously at diversification into such as off-shore wind power generation using the skills of this workforce. Such a programme has been proposed by the Labour Party through it’s shadow Defence Diversification Agency.
The Arms Industry kills. We need more electricity generating capacity. Off-shore wind and tidal power are ways of doing it at the same time protecting the jobs of this workforce.
Dr Christopher Butler, Yorkshire Labour CND rep.
