Join Labour CND’s campaign against Johnson’s military spending spree

On 19 November, in a House of Commons update on the Integrated Review, Boris Johnson’s announced a huge military spendig hike. Reaffirmed by Chancellor Richi Sunak’s autumn statement, the government is committed to an increase of £24.1 billion over 4 years — that’s £16 bn in addition to the 0.5% above-inflation increase already promised. Responding for Labour, Keir Starmer welcomed the increase. Let Labour know their support for this Tories spending spree is misguided. Here’s what you can do:

Join Jeremy Corbyn and guests on Sunday, register here to attend our webinar co-hosted by our partners from Arise, A Festival of Labour’s Left Ideas
Download our model motion for your branch or constituency Labour Party
And please contact your Labour MP via our online lobby

Wales Labour leader welcomes UN nuclear ban treaty

Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales and leader of Welsh Labour/Llafur Cymru, has welcomed the ratification of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. He said: ‘As more nations ratify this Treaty together we create hope for a different future without nuclear weapons and without a nuclear deterrent.’

UN nuclear ban treaty comes into force in January

Yorkshire CND with Olivia Blake, Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam and one of the the first English parliamentarians to back the Nuclear Ban Communities initiative

Now that 50 countries have ratified the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), it will come into force on 22 January 2021. Another 84 have signed, but not yet ratified the Treaty. Only those countries which ratify the TPNW are bound by the Treaty.

The UK government is responsible for signing and ratifying treaties. To the dishonour of us all, neither the May nor Johnson governments have signed the TPNW. The Tories say they never will, and Labour is silent on the Treaty.

CND has launched a campaign to put pressure on Westminster to change its mind. The Nuclear Ban Communities initiative is modelled on ICAN, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons which CND is part of. We are asking MPs, local authorities, and faith leaders to pledge their support for the UN nuclear ban treaty.

You’ll be hearing more from us in 2021…..

Labour CND statement on the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn

Labour CND stands in solidarity with Jeremy Corbyn, a lifelong anti-racist, peace and anti-war campaigner, as his record of fighting oppression and discrimination attests.

We reaffirm our commitment to opppose anti-semitism and all forms of racism. We believe the action taken against Jeremy undermines the unity of the Labour Party.

Labour CND opposes the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn and pledges to campaign for his reinstatement.

Experience counts on the NEC

Take note of the wise words of Labour CND Vice Chair, Christine Shawcroft who is a former member of the Labour Party National Executive. Please suppport the six Grassroots Voice candidates in the ballot for CLP reps on the NEC. They stand on a platform of peace, internationalism, and nuclear disarmament.

Cast your vote now in NEC elections

Voting in Labour’s National Executive Committee elections has begun. Use yours by noon on 12 November or lose the chance to have you say.

Grassroots Voice candidates had the most local party nominations. It’s time to turn that support into votes and elect Constituency Labour Party reps who are committed to nuclear disarmament, will defend party democracy and support progressive anti-austerity policies.

Your ballot should have arrived in your inbox by now. The email comes from labourelections@cesvotes.com and has ‘Your ballot – Labour Party elections’ in the subject line. If you haven’t had an email, check your spam folder. You can apply to have your ballot reissued. Monday 26 October is the ballot reissue day.

Labour is using STV, single transferable vote, for the first time in these elections. STV is more complicated than first-past-the-post voting system it replaces. STV means it’s really important how you order your votes – who you put first, second, third, etc.

All the organisations in the Centre Left Grassroots Alliance have agreed a region by region priority order that will maximise the chances of getting the #GV6 elected. The order of preference for each region is reproduced below. If you’re unsure about which Labour Party region you’re in, use Momentum’s helpful postcode finder.

Want to know more about how STV works, check out Single Transferable Vote Explained.
And you can read the statement of each #GV6 candidate here

Real security, lessons from the pandemic

CND’s 2020 annual conference on 18 October had a great line up, including a keynote speech from Jeremy Corbyn MP. Take a look below. He wrote later: ‘Thanks to everyone for the conference. It felt strange not being at a real conference and talking to old friends. However, it shows just what we can do with good communications.’

You can watch still watch Jeremy’s keynote speech and the roundtable with Tom Unterrainer from the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation in conversation with Prof Paul Rogers, Newham Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz and Unison’s Asst Gen Sec Roger McKenzie

There are two extracurricular activities available until the end of October, just click on the images below


Hear #GV6 candidates on peace and internationalism

Labour CND asks our supporters to vote for the Grassroots Voice candidates for constituency places on the Labour Party National Executive Committee. Why? Because these candidates are committed to nuclear disarmament as part of a peaceful, internationalist platform for Labour.

Hear what each of the #GV6 candidates have to say on international policy, click on the images below:

Gemma Bolton


Yasmine Dar

Ann Henderson


Nadia Jama

Laura Pidcock


Mish Rahman

Ann Henderson on Trident

Labour CND and Arise, A Festival of Labour’s Left Ideas jointly organised a Foreign Policy Q&A webinar with Grassroots Voice candidates for Labour’s National Executive Committee. Ann Henderson reviewed Scottish Labour’s position on Trident.

Visit Labour CND’s YouTube channel to hear what all #GV6 candidates had to say on Froeign Policy – Gemma Bolton, Yasmine Dar, Nadia Jama, Laura Pidcock, and Mish Rahman

Register here for #GrassrootsVoice #GV6 Rally with Jeremy Corbyn and others on 15 October