Wages Not Weapons: Labour CND model conference motion

Despite the severest cost of living crisis in most of our memories, the Chancellor’s Spring Statement increased the Ministry of Defence budget by £5 billion in the next two years, with a total increase of £11bn over the next 5 years.

Forecast organisations are predicting the UK will be the worst performing economy of all G20 countries in 2023, and will have shrunk by 0.3% by the end of this year. Funding nuclear weapons and war are being pursued at the expense of workers wages.

Labour CND’s model motion for this year’s Labour Party conference argues that high military spending restricts the action governments can take in defence of the public sector and workers pay. We’re calling  for an in-coming Labour government to:

    • increase investment and promote growth
    • improve public services
    • provide an emergency support package to off-set the cost-of-living crisis, and
    • take effective action to tackle climate change.

It you agree with us, please encourage your local party to send this motion for debate at Labour’s 2023 conference. Download our motion which includes an explainer with some facts, figures, and arguments to help you make the case in your CLP.

And don’t forget to let us know by emailing labourcnd@gmail.com

CND at Labour Conference 2022

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.