The government plans to renew the Trident Missile System. They argue that we live in an unpredictable world and that we need our nuclear weapons as the ultimate guarantee against anything that may happen.
We say that this would be a huge mistake. The problem is not just Britain's nuclear weapons, or those of any one country. It is nuclear weapons themselves. They are the common enemy of all humanity. Human beings are fallible, prone to miscalculation, lethargy and sheer foolishness. They are not to be trusted with such overwhelming power. If we do nothing about it nuclear weapons will eventually be used.
The Cold War ended years ago. We do not need to start another arms race. The real danger is that we and other nuclear states will use our weapons. Our possession of nuclear weapons encourages other states to want them too. Writing in the Wall Street Journal former US Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George Shultz have recognised this. Nuclear weapons would certainly not help in the 'war against terror'. It is more likely that our nuclear facilities would become a target for terrorism.
The Trident missile is our Weapon of Mass Destruction. Nuclear weapons are always indiscriminate because of their unpredictable radiation effects. They violate International Law.
The estimated cost of Trident renewal has been put as high as £75 billion. Why spend so much on a Weapon of Mass Destruction? This money would be better spent tackling catastrophic climate change, increasingly recognised as our greatest threat. It could be used to prevent poverty at home and abroad, or provide for employment, education and health. The armed forces certainly don't need it. A Trident missile cannot protect soldiers when they've not been provided with basic equipment.
Scrapping Trident would mean some short-term job losses. But for what the government plans to spend many jobs could be created.
Britain is a full signatory of the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty, which obliges all nuclear powers to reduce and ultimately destroy all their nuclear weapons. This treaty is being used to justify threatening Iran. And despite this treaty, work has already started at Aldermaston on building testing facilities for a new generation of nuclear weapons.
What has all this to do with a seaside resort in south east England like Eastbourne? The threat posed by nuclear weapons is enormous and sometimes we can feel helpless. But we can all do our bit.
The council has certainly done its bit.
On November 21 it passed a resolution which
"acknowledges the current danger of nuclear weapons' proliferation, and recognises the achievement of Mayors for Peace in coordinating more than 1,700 towns and cities in 122 countries to promote the total abolition of nuclear weapons and pursue lasting peace in the world". Our town has joined 1,732 member cities from 122 countries as a member of Mayors for Peace.
The main thrust is that cities and towns must never be targets for nuclear weapons. The only way to ensure this is to scrap them all. By acting locally we are joining a global partnership against our common danger.
George Farebrother on behalf of Eastbourne for Peace and Liberty, Eastbourne Green Party, Eastbourne Labour Party, Herstmonceux Quaker Meeting, Institute for Law Accountability and Peace, Lewes and District CND, Seaford Quaker Meeting, Sussex Peace Alliance, World Court Project UK

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