Campaign Review 2012-13

CampaignReview 2012

Officers: Chair: Dave Webb; Vice-Chairs: Daniel Blaney, Sarah Cartin, Jeremy CorbynMP; Treasurer: Linda Hugl; General Secretary: Kate Hudson.

Vice-Presidents: Pat Arrowsmith, Tony Benn, John Cox, Joan Horrocks, RebeccaJohnson, Bruce Kent, Alastair Mackie, Alice Mahon, Canon Paul Oestreicher, WalterWolfgang.

CND National Council: Directly elected: Pat Allen, Adam Beese, Sophie Bolt, JennyClegg, Tom Cuthbert, Ian Fairlie, Caroline Lucas MP, Vijay Mehta, Lydia Merryl, PatSanchez, Tony Staunton, Jim Taggart, Carol Turner, Hannah Tweddell, Katy West,Nations, regions and areas: CND Cymru John Cox, Jill Gough, Jon Plumpton; EastMidlands Ian Cohen, Richard Johnson, Lesley Mathews; London Region Jim Brann,Isobel McHarg, Nicholas Russell; North West (Greater Manchester) Philip Gilligan; NorthWest (Merseyside) Gerald Poole; North West (South Cheshire & North Staffordshire)Owen Sloss; Northern (Cumbria and Lancashire) Joan West; Scottish CND Janet Fenton,Veronika Tudhope, Arthur West; South East (Kent) John Hemsley; South East (Sussex)Roslyn Cook; South West (Exeter) Tom Milburn; South West (Penzance) Peter Le Mare;South West (Plymouth) Michal Lovejoy; Southern (Oxford) Nigel Day; Southern(Southampton) Michael Waugh; Specialist sections: Christian CND Chris Gidden; LabourCND Joy Hurcombe; Student CND Fiona Edwards.

Staff at Holloway Road: General Secretary Kate Hudson; Campaigns Officer(Parliamentary) Ben Folley; Campaigns Officer (Research & Information) Dawn Rothwell(until August 2012); Campaigns Officer (Trade Unions) Tansy Hoskins; Campaigns Officer(Youth & Community Engagement) Anne Schulthess; Press & Communications OfficerLuke Massey; Peace Education Officer Anna Liddle; Peace Education DevelopmentCoordinator Lisa Rønsholt Bounds; Fundraiser Beckett Vester; Membership Officer KateCharteris; Membership & Fundraising Intern Ilanga Preuss; Designer Sue Longbottom;Finance Officer Eve Cuthbert; Office & Personnel Manager Hannah Altendorff; ChristianCND Claire Poyner.

National and Regional: CND Cymru Jill Gough; Scottish CND John Ainslie; GreaterManchester Jacqui Burke & Doug Weir; London Region David Polden; Yorkshire DeniseCraghill & Dominic Linley (other regional offices are run by volunteers).

Volunteers at Holloway Road: Pat Allen, Eileen Maclean, David Esbester, PatArrowsmith, Annette Russell, Ellen Sheffield, John Morris, Gina Mackenzie, Luba Mumfordand Jim Thomas. Internship Programme: Alex Martin, Zulfi Ali, Zuleika Sedgley, ShrutiJoshi, Amy Gackowska, Zahara Husaini, Mark Soames and Rebecca Sharkey (ICAN).

CND is indebted to people across the country engaged in tireless voluntary work forpeace and nuclear disarmament. Without you there would be no CND. This CampaignReview is dedicated to you.

CND personnel

CAMPAIGN REVIEW 2012

1

IT is increasingly clear that the government’s financial policiesare not working. As Brendan Barber, general secretary of theTUC, said at the October demonstration in London,austerity is failing and ‘the government is making life

desperately hard for millions of people because of pay cuts forworkers, while the rich are given tax cuts’ and Unison leader DavePrentis pointed to the hundreds of thousands of public sector jobsbeing lost as cuts bite deep.

However, the government refuses to change itspolicies and priorities for spending. GeorgeOsborne announced in his autumn statement thathis austerity programme would have to beextended until way past the next election. Ofcourse, it is clear how the government could savebillions of pounds, set a tremendous example tothe world and send a New Year message of

peace and hope – by once and for all cancelling plans toreplace the Trident nuclear weapons system. Calls for the need fora full debate on all the issues, including an honest disclosure of thecosts involved and a proper analysis of all the alternatives(including scrapping the whole thing) are increasing. Outrage onaspects of government policy is being voiced loud and clear andopposition to spending billions on outdated, unnecessary andhighly dangerous nuclear weapons is growing.

2013 will prove to be a very interesting year. It could be the year inwhich governments of the world realise the nonsense of spending somuch money and effort on weapons of mass destruction in thename of ‘security’. CND’s role is clear – we need to work to ensurethat the debate occurs at all levels, from the streets to local andnational media, to parliaments and international forums. We have agreat opportunity now to begin building a world free from nuclearthreats. CND will continue to work hard in the coming year toachieve this increasingly urgent goal but we need you – please join uswhenever, wherever and however you can. I am sure we can do it ifwe work together. Hard work to bring that about is the path we haveto tread. May I thank all our members and supporters who embracethis cause with such energy and generosity of spirit. We will prevail!

Campaign for Nuclear DisarmamentCND campaigns non-violently to achieve Britishnuclear disarmament – forscrapping the Trident nuclearweapons system andpreventing its replacement.

CND works to secure anuclear weapons conventionwhich will ban nuclearweapons globally, aschemical and biologicalweapons have been banned.We also work to endBritain’s participation in theUS Missile Defence systemand – with other campaignsinternationally – againstmissile defence and weaponsin space.

Other current campaignsinclude the prevention andcessation of wars in whichnuclear weapons may beused, opposition to NATOand its nuclear policies, andto nuclear power.

CND is funded entirely bymembers and supporters,and our policies are decidedupon by our annual nationaldelegates’ conference,where our nationalleadership is also elected.

Details of our nationaloffices, and our network ofregions can be found at theback of this Review.

CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT

2

Cut Trident – not jobs, h SCRAP Trident and

cancel its replacementremains our key demand.

The costs issue continues todominate both parliamentaryand street campaigning asgovernment spending cuts bite.Thanks to Parliamentary CND,the hypocrisy of governmentspending on Trident replace -ment including at Aldermastonand Rolls Royce in Derby –ahead of any decision toproceed – has been widelyhighlighted. The government’sown date of 2016 for adecision on replacement hasbeen repeatedly re-emphasised.

We had a strong focus onthe cuts – and the opportunitycost of Trident – on BudgetDay in March, including anMPs’ statement and photo-shoot together with a protest atDowning Street. Eye-catchingbus adverts and a newinteractive web page helpedspread the message. The TUCdemonstra tion in October sawa large ‘Cut Trident, not jobs,health and education’ bloc,together with an imposingbanner drop by CND Vice-President Bruce Kent. Over athousand supporters put theirnames to a full page advert inThe Guardian, urging thegovern ment to scrap Trident.

New materials for groups

have emphasized the alternativechoices for spending. Our tradeunion work – including asuccessful presence atTolpuddle, trade union andTUC conferences and newaffiliations – has made steadyprogress in the context ofTrident costs and cuts.

Rolls Royce Raynesway The Rolls Royce Rayneswayfactory in Derby, where thereactors and fuel rods for thenuclear propulsion units in theTrident and new Astute classsubmarines are manufactured,has received massive govern -ment investment this year toexpand its role in both the civiland military nuclear industries.East Midlands continue tohold monthly vigils anddemonstrations throughout thespring and summer,campaigning to ‘Cut Trident/Create Green Jobs’, marking‘UN Day for the Child Victims

of War’ in July, Hiroshima Dayin August, and ‘Peace One Dayin September’. Unfortunatelyrather than investing their skillsfor peaceful and sustainablepurposes, Rolls Royce haveannounced they are dis-investing from marine turbinemanufacture!For the Cut Trident campaignMerseyside CND had stalls inWallasey, Birkenhead and

Dismantling Trident‘Plan for dismantlingBriain’s nuclear arsenal.CND offers a step-by-step guide’.The Guardian, 26/9/2012

East Mi


3

health, education Kingston Peace Council‘An assortment of KingstonPeace Council activistsdressed as nurses, teachers,and patients – accompaniedby George Osborne andDavid Cameron – invadedKingston’s streets as part of‘Think in Kingston’, aFestival of Ideas. 2012’stheme was money. Weasked shoppers to helpGeorge and Dave decidewhat to cut, Education,Health, Local Services or‘Defence’.

By putting a ball in ourmagic machine thatregistered their choice theygot a message announcingthe result. Swingeing cutsare planned to our servicesbut few cuts, if any, to‘defence’ wars: Afghanistan(£5 billion/year plus),weapons: Trident over £2billion/year just to maintainit, and Trident renewal at£100 billion for its lifetime.Overwhelmingly theythought cutting ‘defence’was safest!’

dlands CND, May Day Peace Parade

Liverpool, resulting in anoverwhelmingly positiveresponse and over 200 cards tosome 30 MPs.

The major event was thePeace and Ecology Festival inJuly. About 12 groups broughtcampaigning and information

St Albans CND

Merseyside Wallasey CND

Sussex Peace Alliance

Tavistock CND

Kingsbridge CND

East Midlands CND at Rolls Royce


4

stalls and the ten acts, as usualdrawn from Liverpool’s wealthof musical talent, went down astorm. Our Socialist Singerswere a particular hit.

Redbridge CND held astreet stall in Wanstead HighStreet the day beforeRemembrance Sunday. Wehad White Poppies togetherwith notices explaining thehistory and reasoning behindthe White Poppy Campaign.We also distributed leafletscalling for ‘No TridentRenewal’.

Kingsbridge Peace Groupcontinues to campaign againstTrident nuclear submarines atDevonport and to monitordevelopments there, with astrong link to the NuclearSubmarine Forum via theirChair, Sandy Matthews.

The TUC March for a Future that Works‘Other groups taking part in the protestinclude the Stop The War Coalition and

the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament –which argues that committing tens ofbillions of pounds to a new nuclearweapons system will have disastrous

implications for public services.’ BBC 20/10/12

n Get your MP to sign EDM 96 which the government to cancel Trident Rep

UNISON, PCS, CWU, RMT, FBU, TSSA NUM and UNITY are all nationally aff CND. Unite North West Region, Unite and Eastern Region and Unite North Yorkshire and Humberside have also

n Affiliate your union or trades counc local, regional or national level. Please http://www.cnduk.org/get-involved/trfor affiliation forms and more informa

Nuclear weapons companiesheld an ‘Introduction toNuclear Defence’ seminar inGlasgow where young delegatesunderwent two days ofseminars and presentations onnuclear defence topics and atour of Faslane naval base.Seven activists from FaslanePeace Camp interrupted theseminar to question the

Take ActionJo Smolden, Mid SomsersetCND with Tessa Munt MP


5

legitimacy of preparing a newgeneration of young peoplefor nuclear arms industryemploy ment. Delegates werepresented with large posterswith images of victims ofHiroshima and Nagasaki. Thepeace activists read outaccounts from Hiroshimasurvivors. Having made theirpoint, the protestors thenhanded out fliers.

h calls on placement.

A, ASLEF, iliated to e London East,

affiliated.

cil at a e see

rade-unions ation.

In December, the NuclearEducation Trust (NET)published The Trident AlternativesReview and the future of Barrow, areport based on an independentsurvey and research designed tolook at industrial and employ -ment alternatives for Barrow inthe event of a decision not toreplace Trident. n The report can be found at:www.nucleareducationtrust.org

Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group‘Our town has now beenon the sharp end of cutsin essential local servicesfor several years. Wehave lost acute inpatientservices across the boardat the Infirmary, and ourCouncil has been forcedto slash tens of £millionsfrom its plannedspending on services for

some of the most vulnerable groups in our communities.Based on population, Rochdale’s share of the currentcosts of Britain’s unnecessary nuclear arsenal alreadyamounts to £7million per year, but the staggering cost toRochdale of so-called ’Trident Replacement’ totals over£300million. This is more than the Council would need torestore and maintain all local services at their previousuncut levels. It is time to tell the government and allthose who support retention of any nuclear weaponsthat we want our taxes spent on decent local services,not Trident.’


6

Towards a nuclearweapons-freeMiddle East

IN October, CND held alarge and vibrantconference in London

entitled Building towards anuclear weapons-free MiddleEast. The conference wasplanned to coincide with thelead in to the HelsinkiConference – a UN led initiativedesigned to create a nuclearweapons free zone in theMiddle East. The conferencewas addressed by a number ofinternational speakers includingAmbassador Pekka Huhtaniemiof Finland; Sharon Dolev, IsraeliDisarmament Campaign; NasserBurdestani, Bahrain; Arife Kose,Turkey; Ghassan Shahrour, Syriaand Egyptian physician andactivist Ahmed Saada.

In contrast to thecooperative and global natureof the CND conference, theUS announced in Novemberthat Helsinki would be post -poned indefinitely owing to‘present conditions in theMiddle East.’ Whilst Helsinkidid not take place in 2012 – it isexpected to take place in thefuture, not least because Arabnations, led by Egypt, have said

that without the creation of anuclear weapons-free zone theywill declare their commitmentto the NPT underconsideration.

CND has prepared a sub -mission document forHelsinki – a culmination ofthe findings from ourconference work shops andplenary sessions.

Parliamentary CNDmembers also initiated EarlyDay Motion 273 inParliament, calling for thecreation of a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East,as part of a cross-partyinitiative to put pressure onthe UK Government tosupport the Helsinki process.

Heard an inaccurate orbiased news story aboutIranian nuclear weapons?Don’t just let it go, raisethe issue of accuratereporting and UKcomplicity with the Israelinuclear arsenal.

Take Action

Ambassador Pekka Huhtaniemi, Perman to the UK, addresses CND’s Internationa


7

nent Representative of Finland al Conference

PeterboroughPeace Campaign‘In May, CND Vice-ChairJeremy Corbyn MP gave atalk to Peterborough PeaceCampaign, on nuclearweapons and Iran. It isimportant to spread the

message that UN inspectors have reported of Iran thatit has no weapons-grade nuclear material and is notseeking to create a nuclear weapon. Jeremy alsoreiterated the unnecessary nature of nuclear weapons –whilst five nations have declared possession and fourothers either have them (Israel, India, Pakistan, NorthKorea) or could develop them, there are 193 nationsthat are nuke-free and vast areas of the world arenuclear free-zones.’

‘Middle-Eastsecurity at thecrossroads: Urgent need for aWMD-free zone.Preventativediplomatic actionis needed to haltnuclear prolifera -tion and ensuredisarma ment inthe Middle-East’.

Kate Hudson on AljazeeraOpinion

Sharon Dolev, IsraeliDisarmament Campaign

Leanne Wood AM, Leader of Plaid Cymru


8

No US Missile DefenceYORKSHIRE CND

continues to play thelead role in CND’s

campaigning against the USMissile Defence System. Thetwo UK component parts ofthe ‘defence system’ are atFylingdales and Menwith Hill,both in North Yorkshire. USMissile Defence is part of USstrategy for full militarydomination of land, air, sea,space and information. TheUK is complicit in all currentUS Missile Defence plans andfurther development.

This year’s activities haveincluded a Recycle the Basesbike ride during Keep Space forPeace week, and protests at theSouth Korean Embassy to sayNo to the building of a base onthe UNESCO world heritageisland of Jeju. We also continueto participate in the GlobalNetwork against Weapons andNuclear Power in Space.

Members of EastLancashire and LancasterCND helped to swell thenumbers in the welcome partyfor the cyclists who hadridden from the Fylingdalesbase in North Yorkshire toMenwith Hill on Tuesday 9October during Keep Spacefor Peace week. Hot soup andsausage rolls were servedoutside the Main Gates. Many

Yorkshire CND‘Our new research report Lifting the Lid on Menwith Hillwas launched to a packed meeting house in Harrogate.The report details Menwith Hill’s key strategic role in‘intelligence led warfare’, illegal communicationinterceptions and missile offence as well as challengingthe economic argument of its benefits to the localeconomy by revealing the hidden costs of the UKsubsidised US spy base. The report by Steve Schofieldreceived good press coverage including an article in TheGuardian by Richard Norton Taylor.

Then in April a three-day creative and peaceful OccupyMenwith Hill camp sprang up! Yorkshire CND activiststook part in workshops and creative actions to drawattention to the role of the base in North Yorkshire. AnRT video report on the action is available on our website.

As part of Keep Space for Peace week a group of uscycled over 100 miles in North Yorkshire fromFylingdales radar base to US Spy Base Menwith Hill toraise awareness of the militarisation of Space and USMissile Offence.

Yorkshire CND campaigners Sylvia Boyes and Helen Johnare the (somewhat reluctant) heroes of an online videodocumentary ‘Disarming Grandmothers’. The fascinatingpersonal account of their actions, trial and convictionunder the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act is toldin 31 short episodes and is available online athttp://disarminggrandmothers.wordpress.com/’


9

Yorkshire CND/Recycle the Bases 9 October 2012

‘Protesters bringpeace mission toYork Minster –

activists protestingagainst the

‘militarisation ofspace’ stopped offin York during a100-mile bike rideas part of theircampaign.’

York Press 10/10/12

In October Oxford CND marked KeepSpace for Peace week with a march andmeeting at Croughton.

n Sign the petition againstthe building of a US missiledefence base on Jeju Island.http://signon.org/sign/save-jeju-island-no-naval

More information:www.yorkshirecnd.org.uk

Take Action

stayed for the weekly twohour vigil and spent time onthe base-side of the notorious‘yellow line’ which has beenthe site of many arrests overpast years.

Well done to the Campaignfor Accountability of AmericanBases (CAAB) for keeping thevigil for the last thirteen yearsand successfully negotiating arelaxation of policing policy.


10

THIS year saw aNATO summit inChicago in May.

Peace and anti-war groupsglobally – including CND –continued their co-operationto organise a major counter-summit and demonstration.Simultaneously we organised aprotest outside the USEmbassy in London, with theStop the War Coalition, to sayNo to NATO – Troops outof Afghanistan. We continueto work with Europeanorganisations to seek theremoval of US/NATOtactical nuclear weapons fromEurope.

During the year there hasbeen an escalation in pro-warrhetoric around the issue ofthe Iranian nuclear powerprogramme. CND workedwith Public Interest Lawyersto send a letter of warning tothe government, advising thatgoing to war on Iran wouldbe illegal in the currentcontext. Subsequent mediareports suggest thatgovernment legal advice hascome to the same conclusion.

This year CND has alsoincreased its campaigningagainst drones, ‘unmannedaerial vehicles’, followingevidence of indiscriminatecivilian casualties, the

increasing dehumanisation ofwar and the violation of inter -national borders for extra-judicial killings.

For UN Peace DayMerseyside CND organisedtwo concerts, in Wallasey andLiverpool. The Liverpool

No to war, no to Nato

Faringdon Peace Group, Oxon‘Our main focus has been our monthly speaker meetingsand the annual Peace Fete. This year the Peace Fete tookour message of peace and nuclear disarmament to about150 local residents. Despite the rain it was a great eventand was the second most financially successful PeaceFete ever. The next one will be on the 13 July 2013 atClock House, Coleshill, Faringdon, Oxon.’

NATO counter-summit and demonstration in Chicago

concert attracted over 250people with music andspeeches including one by theImam from a local Mosque.

Eleven intrepid walkersfrom Greater Manchesterand District CND under tookan 18 mile Walk for Peacearound the south east edge ofGreater Manchester, wherefantastic views could be seenover the Cheshire plains to thedistant Pennines and over thePeak District and Kinder. Thewalk, part of the ManchesterPeace Festival, raised over£400 for GM&D CND.

Sussex Peace Alliance setup a small steering group toorganise a Two Million CandleVigil in Brighton on 10December in solidarity withthe two million victims of theAfghan wars. This worldwideinitiative was started byAfghan Peace Volunteers whohave chosen the path of non-violence as the only way toheal their ravaged homeland.

Eastbourne for Peaceand Liberty hosted MayaEvans to speak aboutAfghanistan and arranged ashowing of Field of Asphodelproduced by Idolrich Theatre.This is an adult puppet showwhich links classical Greeklegend with Chernobyl andFukushima. The groupmarked New Year’s Day onthe Town Hall steps with apeace message.


11

East Midlands CND

Sussex Peace Alliance

Northumbrians for Peace ‘Based in Hexham, asmall market town in theNE of England, we werevery active in the 80s,and inspired – orgoaded – into new lifeby the decision to renewTrident in 2007. We runmonthly talks betweenJanuary and June knownas ‘The Hexham Debates'and our audience alwaysnumbers over 100. We have hit a vein ofradicalism and are unitingeveryone who is interestedin achieving peace.’

Faslane Peace Camp‘We took to the streets ofEdinburgh on 4 Octoberto create a memorial tothe civilians and soldierskilled in the 11year Nato-led war in Afghanistan.The countless civiliandeaths were representedwith over 20,000 whitechalk figures and the Natomilitary deaths (3,195) incoloured chalk figures,forming a pathway to theHolyrood Parliament.’

Tavistock CND

GM&D CND peace walk

Merseyside CND concert


12

Campaigning againstDronesAs home to a number of keydrones sites, East MidlandsCND has been campaigning onthe issue throughout the year.Leicester CND held quarterlydemonstra tions outside theThales factory in Leicesterwhere the Watch keeper drone ismade and campaigners from allover the East Midlands havevisited veteran GreenhamCommon campaigner, HelenJohn’s peace caravan, stationedopposite RAF Waddington, nearLincoln, which is the new basefor the deploy ment of theReaper drone.

Peace walk East Midlands CND’s 90mile, five county, peace walk

started at a drones factorynear Lichfield and covered thedrones factory in Leicester andthe drones control base atRAF Waddington. The aimwas to walk in solidarity withthose killed or harmed bydrones, to protest at threedrone sites, and to talk to lotsof people in towns andvillages along the way.

The walkers were filmed atRAF Waddington by BBCLook North television and alsoby local BBC and commercialradio in Lincoln. Mediacoverage was also boosted bythe Bishop of Wolver ham p tonjoining the protest atShenstone, where the Elbitfactory makes drone engines.

Equally important wereconversations held with

East Midlands CND peacewalk to RAF Waddington and(inset) campaigner Helen John at her peace caravan

people in the street, at eveningmeetings and at the lunch andcoffee stops be they Quakers,Methodists or the Womens’Institute. Their enthusiasmwas really uplifting and carriedwalkers on to the next stage.They clearly were going to talkto more people and writeabout the issue in theirmagazines. At Birstall coffeestop peace walkers were sungto as they entered the hall – itwas beautiful.

Woking Action for Peaceis looking forward to holdinga series of debates in WokingTown Centre in 2013. BruceKent will open the series on19 January asking “Is war everjustified? Does armedintervention work?”


13

Remember Hiroshima

EVERY year, CNDsends a representativeto Japan, to the

commemorations in Hiroshimaand Nagasaki of the atomicbombings inflicted on theinnocent civilians of thosecities in August 1945. Thisyear, our ParliamentaryOfficer, Ben Folley,participated on our behalf.

Bromley & BeckenhamCND held a silent marchthrough Bromley High Street,followed by the reading ofremembrance poems and thescattering of white chrysanth -emums at the lake at theChurch House Gardens.

Hiroshima Remembranceevents including the floating oflighted paper boats down riverswere held by Kingston PeaceCouncil, East Lanc ashireCND, Merseyside CND,Oxford CND, South amptonCND, West Mid lands CND,Sussex Peace Alliance,Brighton & Hove WILPF

and also in Lewes, Hastings,Brighton, Hailsham, Malvernand Hereford

Woking Action for Peaceremembered Hiroshima andNagasaki by sailing lighted

grapefruit shells on the WeyNavigation Canal at the NewInn, Send, and held a PeacePicnic in Woking Park on 21September to mark theInternational Day of Peace.

Rochdale and Little -borough Peace Group hasraised over £400 to send tothe Strong Children Japanproject run by former groupmember, Geoff Read. Geoffnow works as an art therapistin Fukushima province withchild survivors of the radiationleakages.

‘The reaction of thepublic in Bromley isa clear sign of theiraversion to thehorrors of war. Weshould abandon thevery expensive planto replace ournuclear weaponarsenal.’ Bromley &Beckenham CND

Woking CND

Abingdon CND

London Region CND‘The high-spot of our year was our annual Hiroshima Day Ceremony held by the commem -orative Hiroshima cherry tree in Tavistock Square. Contributions were made by Tony Benn,Kate Hudson, the Rev. Nagase, monk at the Battersea Peace Pagoda, Jeremy Corbyn MP,Jean Lambert Green MEP and 106-year old Hetty Bower. Over 200 people attended.

Music was provided by folk singer Jim Radford, opera singer Anthony Flaum, the RaisedVoices choir and ex-Dr Who, Sylvester McCoy, poetry by the Purple Poets and by CeliaMitchell, widow of poet Adrian Mitchell, who read one of his poems. The ceremony endedwith a minute’s silence and the laying of flowers at the base of the tree’.

14

15


16

OUR campaigningagainst nuclear powerhas escalated in

recent years. The determinationof the government to pursuenew nuclear power stations inBritain, despite changes inpolicy in many othercountries, is staggering.Following the catastrophe atFukushima in Japan – and thetragic events which continueto unfold there, blighting thelives of countless Japanesecitizens – countries such asGermany, Italy andSwitzerland have decided toterminate their nuclear powerprogrammes. France, whichhas historically been stronglycommitted to nuclear powerproduction, has indicated thatit will reduce its dependence,under the presidency ofFrancois Hollande.

Yet Britain was quick toassert that nuclear power issafe, despite much evidence tothe contrary, even seekingadvice from the nuclearindustry on how to marketnuclear power in difficultcircumstances. We havecontinued to work in the StopNew Nuclear network withpartner organisations to oppose

nuclear new build in Britain.Our chief focus has beenHinkley Point in Somerset,where we are fighting thebuilding of the first newreactors and Sizewell is also asite of activity. This year’sactivities have included twomajor events at Hinkley Point,in March and October,together with a successfulcourt challenge to EDF’sapplication for an injunctionto prevent our March protest.

On 3 October, CumbriaCounty Council decided to delayany further decisions about thesiting of the dump of highlyradioactive waste in WestCumbria until January 2013.This gives more time to awakenthe people of Cumbria to thehealth and environ mentaldangers. East Lanc ashireCND and members ofRadiation Free Lakeland stageda demonstration outside CarlisleCourts prior to the CabinetMeeting on 11 October. A pollof local residents that was madein August was presented to theCabinet Meeting revealing that93% of residents are opposed tothe dump. Also a statementopposing the dump was readout to the Cabinet Meeting

from CND Council MemberDr Ian Fairlie, on behalf of EastLancashire CND.

Cumbria and LancashireArea CND AGM will takeplace on 30 March in Kendal,and will include a formal visitto Rock Solid? – an exhibitionsponsored by NorthCumbria CND andorganised by Radiation FreeLakeland. Headlined by therenowned mountain painterJulian Cooper, artists from allover the country havecontributed work focusing on

Nuclear power –no thanks!

Demonstrators against thebuilding of new nuclear reactorsat Hinkley Point, Somerset


17

the debate concerningLakeland Geologywww.kendalmuseum.org.uk

London Region CND rancoaches to three anti-nuclearpower demonstrations, toHinkley in March and Octoberand to Sizewell in April. It wasgood to have people fromLondon supporting localcampaigns against governmentplans for new nuclear powerstations.

Members of PenzanceCND went to the HinkleyPoint demonstrations in

March and October. Thegroup has kept a high local

profile for CND and peacematters by publishing letters inthe local paper The Cornishmanand by liaising withsympathetic local and countycouncillors. Local MP AndrewGeorge, remains sympatheticto CND and readily signspertinent EDMs. The group iswary of a move to Falmouthby Trident if it is expelledfrom Scotland.

Oxford CND took part inthe Surround Hinkley event,as well as demonstrations atSizewell B and Menwith Hill.

EDF’s injunction application was rejected in court

Don’t you get my Hinkley point? – no to nuclear power

Nuclear power – not theanswer to climate change

Government spin doctors and the nuclearindustry myth makers are working over-timerepackaging nuclear power as a ‘green’ solutionto climate change. While many other countriesare rejecting nuclear power in the wake of theFukushima tragedy, our own government isgoing ahead, backing new nuclear powerstations. But nuclear power is no fix, it’s notquick and it’s not worth the risk.

Nuclear power is not the answer. It isnot carbon-free, the whole nuclear cycle fromuranium mining onwards produces moregreenhouse gases than most renewable energysources, with up to 50% more emissions thanwind power. Doubling nuclear power in the UKwould only reduce greenhouse gas emissions by8% and this would come too late as eachpower station takes at least ten years to be upand running. We must act now on climate change.A combination of renewable energy sources andenergy efficiency measures are available and aresafe, effective, and proven technologies with thecapacity to create thousands of new jobs.

Nuclear power – not worth the risk


18

THE culmination of agreat year’scampaigning in Wales

was an afternoon in Octoberwhen hundreds of people fromacross Wales and the Bordersgathered on the steps of theSenedd (Parliament) building tocondemn Trident and itsreplacement.

Elected representatives fromLabour, Plaid Cymru, theLiberal Democrats, Greens andScottish National Partyreiterated the message thatpeople in Wales, as acrossBritain, don’t want Trident orany nuclear weapon system –Not in Wales, Not Anywhere!Messages of support werereceived from across Walesincluding from the Archbishopof Wales, Barry Morgan.

Huge and beautiful reddragons defeated the monster ofthe Trident submarine whilechoirs and singers from acrossWales sang. In Wales andScotland at least, Trident is nota party political issue as much asa moral and economic issue, andas ever, CND Cymru continuesto be present at anti-cuts eventsacross Wales.

We have also continued oursolid campaign of networkingand information spreading bothacross Wales and internationally.There is an added awareness

that a potential 2014 ‘yes’ votefor Scotland combined with the‘Main Gate’ decision in 2016makes now and the next 2years crucial if we are seriousabout banning the bomb.

Work on the street, over thefence and in the office hascontinued on prevention ofnew nuclear build – CNDCymru works with many othergroups and organisations onthis, and contributing with theNFLA to the Hinkley PointPlanning inquiry. Other issues,

as important in terms ofresources and importance haveincluded: Wylfa, Wales PeaceAcademi, 200th anniversarycelebrations of the birth ofHenry Richard MP, Drones,Military Recruitment in Schools,Iran, Bradley Manning, JejuIsland and using memories of1982 campaigns to inform whatwe do now. We now lookforward to 2013 and workingwith our excellent supportivecross-party politicians!

CND Cymru

Hundreds of people from across Wales and the Borders gatheredon the steps of the Senedd (Parliament) building to condemnTrident and its replacement.


19

IN January 2012 theScottish governmentannounced its plans to hold

a referendum on Scottishindependence. Trident hasemerged as a key issue in theindependence debate.

At the start of the yearScottish CND, with assistancefrom British CND, published areport, Trident: Nowhere to Go.This analysed the possibleoptions for relocating Trident. Itconcluded that none of thealternatives were viable.Removing Trident from Scot -land would probably lead toBritain having no nuclearweapons.

This was followed up by asecond report, Disarming Trident,published in June. This showedthat it would be possible withinseven days to disable Trident, sothat it could not be used inanger. Removing nuclearwarheads from Scotland wouldtake two years. This timetablewas endorsed by severalAmerican experts, the Scottishgovernment and later by theScottish Affairs Committee ofthe House of Commons.Disarming Trident demonstratesthat nuclear disarmament is notjust an abstract concept butsomething that can be physicallyachieved within a shorttimescale. We have been able to

publicise these argumentsthrough articles and letters inthe Scottish media.

We organised a campaignfor people to say ‘Scotland:No Place for NuclearWeapons’. Over 2,500 peoplehave added their pins to anonline map to support thisstatement. We have alsodistributed hundreds ofcar/window stickers inEnglish, Scots and Gaelic.

We supported SNP CND intheir campaign to retain theSNP’s policy of opposition toNATO. Although this wasnot successful, there remainsfirm opposition to nuclearweapons across the SNP.Prior to their conference, AlexSalmond announced thatthere should be a specific banon nuclear weapons writteninto the consti tution of anindependent Scotland.

Scottish CND The Referendum on Separation for Scotland: Terminating Trident –Days or Decades?

‘We accept theanalysis of ScottishCND that, with thecoopera tion of theRoyal Navy and theUK Govern ment, thisprocess would beboth speedy andsafe.’House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee


20

Parliament and partiesPARLIAMENTARY

CND continues toscrutinise the Ministry

of Defence and Tridentreplacement with questions andbriefings being submitted fordebates. We focus on the costof Trident, the need for a fulldefence review and the need topublish the Cabinet Office’sTrident Alternatives Review.Parliamentary CND membersdirectly questioned the DefenceSecretary when he made histwo Trident spendingannouncements.

Meetings have been heldwith Jon Cruddas, now leadingLabour’s policy review andRussell Brown and AlisonSeabeck, Labour MPs in theparty’s Shadow Defence team.After the government reshufflein September, we met the LibDems’ Nick Harvey and theparty’s chief internationalaffairs spokesperson, MartinHorwood to discuss the LibDems’ policy review. We haveheld discussions with formerLabour Ministers Nick Brown,David Lammy and JoanRuddock, with Ian Davidson,the Labour chair of theScottish Affairs Committee andConservative James Arbuthnot,who chairs the DefenceCommittee.

Our Early Day Motion

EDM 96 Trident Replacementgathered 93 signatures.

West Midlands CNDtook part in demonstr ations atthe Conservative PartyConference in Birmingham.The CND fringe meeting wasaddressed by Kate Hudsonand James Arbuthnot,Conservative Chair of theDefence Select Committee.

Labour CND held a verysuccessful meeting in parlia ment

in June on Labour, War andLiberal Intervention, withJeremy Corbyn MP, YasminQureshi MP and SamiRamadani.

At this year’s Labour PartyConference, the ‘scrap Trident’resolutions that were submittedwere not debated but thefringe meeting with formerChief Whip Nick Brown MP,Jeremy Corbyn MP, NeilFindlay MSP and Julie MorganAM, was packed.

In December a ‘CuttingTrident’ meeting was held inparliament, where Clive Lewis,the party’s candi date inNorwich South, presented amilitary case against Tridentreplacement, having servedwith the Territorial Army inAfghan istan. He was joined byMPs Katy Clark and NickBrown.

Clive Lewis presents themilitary case against Trident

MPs Angus Robertson, Julian Huppert, Jeremy Corbyn withKate Hudson, hand in spending suggestions to Downing Street


21

Peace EducationPeace Educationresource pack ‘The lesson cancaptivate a restlessclass and it's greatfor pupils who liketo learn on theirfeet. There's notime for fidgetingor boredom here.’Times EducationSupplement,30/11/2012

THIS year we haveincreased the numberof teacher-training

sessions we deliver, equippingmore teachers of English,Citizenship, RE and SocialScience with the skills to teachpeace issues. We have attendeda number of education shows aswell as stalls at subjectassociation and teachers’ unionconferences. We continued toappear in education media withour Peace Education Officerwriting a blog for HodderEducation and an article forTeaching Citizenship. We have alsohad a positive review in theTimes Education Supplement. Inaddition, there have been over23,000 downloads of theresources from the TESwebsite.

Peace Education Day Bruce Kent went to Lancasteron 9 February for a veryencouraging afternoonworkshop with sixth-formersfrom several local schools andto speak at a well-attendedpublic meeting in the eveningon the topic of ‘StoppingStupid Wars’. LancasterDistrict’s Peace EducationOfficer, Paul Andrews, alsoarranged for Bruce Kent to beinterviewed for a local radiostation during the day. The

Pegged for peace‘I joined CND in Septemberand had an exciting andcolourful end to my first week.Friday 21 September was theInternational Day of Peace andI delivered a talk on peace andnuclear issues to 210 studentsat the Anglo European Schoolin Ingatestone. Students hadbeen working on ‘peaceprojects’ during the week. Onegroup had managed to make 1000 multi coloured papercranes – symbols of peace in Japan. Another group cameup with a brilliant ‘pegged for peace’ idea where theypegged classmates and teachers during the lunch breakwith clothes pegs decorated with peace slogans. I proudlywore ‘cease fire day’ and ‘peace matters’ pegs on mycardigan all the way home!’

Lisa Rønsholt Bounds, Peace Education Development Coordinator

Lancaster Guardian laterpublished a photo of Brucewith Paul and some of thesixth-formers.


22

CHARITY donations fellby by about 20%nationwide last year, and

we have had to work hard atCND to keep our incomesteady. Our supporters are notimmune from the effects of thefinancial crisis, and many peoplehave been forced to cut backwhat they donate. In spite of this2012 was not a bad year overall,and as ever we were regularlysurprised and humbled by thegenerosity and hard work ofCND members and supportersall over the country. Thank youso much to everyone who made

a donation, went on a march,handed out leaflets, attended ameeting, wrote to their MP, orcontri buted in all sorts of otherways to the success of thecampaign. There would be noCND without you.

2013 will be a big year, with anumber of actions plannedaround the budget announce -ment, a large event planned atAWE Aldermaston, a nation -wide tour from Bruce Kent, andno doubt much more as yetunplanned. Donations are always

gratefully received! And don’t forget the CND

on-line shop, with a wide rangeof anti-nuclear goods, all profitscome directly to CND:www.cnduk.org/shop.

The end of year accounts willbe available in SummerCampaign.

�ere is a better future...

...invest ethically.

Ethical Investors is regulated by the Financial Services Authority

www. e t h i c a l i n v e s t o r s . c o . u k

Phone, broadband & mobile

Visit: www.thephone.coop/CND

QUOTE: ‘CND’ and AF0267

Get phone, broadband and mobile services

from a telecoms supplier with a di�erence

As a CND supporter, we will give you a £10 credit

on your �rst bill AND 6% of your spend will go

to CND to help them continue their excellent work

Call: 0845 458 9040

...and support CND at the same time

FundraisingTUC March ... ’Campaign forNuclear Disarma -ment... publishedadverts high lightingthe ‘disastrous’implica tions forpublic services ofcommitting tens ofbillions of pounds toa new nuclearweapons system.’ The Telegraph 20/10/12

CND bus adverts paid for byyour donations


23

THERE was a greatatmosphere at theannual Nottingham

Green Festival, attended thisyear by 4000-5000 people; EastMidlands CND stall attracted alot of interest. The new anti-Trident festival leaflet andpostcard were very popular,prompting people to think aboutwhat they could spend theirmoney on if not Trident!

For Chesterfield MaydayGala this year the group oforganisations working together(CND, Stop the War Coalition,Palestine Solidarity Campaignand Amnesty) arranged anumber of peace-focused eventsfor the gala. Our MP and theMayor visited all these events.Chesterfield CND is workingwith the Chesterfield TradesCouncil again this year to ensurepeace issues become an integralpart of the occasion. See:www.propeacechesterfield.wordpress.com for more info.St Albans CND is pleased toannounce that their new filmcompetition is now launched.The judging panel includesLaurence Phelan, the film criticof the Independent, Tony Palmer,film director and Jan Harlan,documentary-maker and filmproducer. For more info:www.onenuclearbomb.webatu.com

EventsArchiving our past– St Albans CND

‘St Albans CND bannersand placards have nowbeen deposited at the StAlbans City Museum. Thisincluded the blue andgold banner used by theoriginal St Albans CND inthe 1960s. A full set ofNewstand, back to the

first in October 1980 hasnow been deposited atHertfordshire Archives andLocal Studies (formerlyknown as the countyrecord office) and also, viaCND HQ, to a nationalarchive at the LondonSchool of Economics.Thanks are due tomembers who helpedwith this’.

A copy of the first everNewstand can bedownloaded athttp://bit.ly/zJycBU

Billie Appleton won firstprize in Bristol CND’s‘Chance of a Lifetime’ filmcompetition

Merseyside CND’s Peaceand Ecology Festival

Lewisham & GreenwichCND helped with theJapanese Peace Boat visit

Looking aheadCAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT

24

Cut Trident, not jobs,health & education…20 March 2013 As the cuts continue apace andare likely to bite harder anddeeper this year, we will bemobilising again to protestoutside Downing Street on theoccasion of the 2013 Budgetannouncement. As theChancellor informs the countryabout what he is doing with ourmoney, we will be telling himthere is a good cut that can bemade: Cut Trident and spendthe billions saved on invest -ment, welfare and services thatwill actually benefit the Britishpeople. If you prefer to organisean event in your own village,town or city, we havecampaigning materials that willbe useful: Cut Trident placards,leaflets, T shirts and badges,plus a new petition for use onstreet stalls and at publicmeetings. Contact the office andtell us what you need.

Time to Scrap Trident:‘Stop fooling withnuclear weapons’Aldermaston event: 1 April 2013 at 12 noon2013 is a year of continuingactivity at AWE Aldermaston,designed to highlight the site’satomic bomb-making functionas we head towards the 2016decision point on whether ornot Trident should be replaced.Vast sums of money are beingpoured into developments atAldermaston, even before anydecision is taken on Trident. Wesay it’s time to scrap Trident,and on April Fool’s Day we willbe gathering in our thousands atAldermaston to tell the govern -ment, ‘stop fooling with nuclearweapons’. Each of the gates atAlder maston will have adifferent theme and regional/ -national focus. Please startorganising transport from yourlocal area and planning yourinput. More information soon.

Coming to a placenear you… the ScrapTrident Tourfrom April 2013The Aldermaston event willsee the launch of the nationalScrap Trident Tour throughApril and beyond. CND Vice-President Bruce Kent will betouring the country,campaigning to Scrap Trident,working with a range ofdifferent organisations tohighlight the wastefulspending on Trident when somuch investment is needed toeradicate poverty, boostpeople-friendly developmentand make our world a saferand more peaceful place tolive. If your group would likea visit from Bruce, topromote the Scrap Tridentmessage, please contact Anneat the national office or [email protected]

Confronting War Today:an internationalconference9 February 2013Friends House, London NW1 Ten years after the massive anti-war demonstration in February2003, this conference willdiscuss and plan opposition tocontinuing and further wars. nwww.stopwar.org.uk

Aldermaston: Stop fooling with nuclear weapons


25

ContactsNationsCND Cymru01239 85 11 [email protected]

Irish CND00 353 86 362 [email protected]

Scottish CND0141 357 [email protected]

RegionsCumbria and LancashireArea CND01524 [email protected]

East Midlands CND01246 [email protected]

Greater Manchester andDistrict CND0161 273 [email protected]

Kent Area CND0122 7722 [email protected]/kent

London Region CND020 7607 [email protected]

Merseyside CND0151 702 [email protected]

South Cheshire and NorthStaffordshire CND077 7891 [email protected]

South West Region CND01392 [email protected]

Southern Region CND023 8032 [email protected]

Sussex Peace Alliance01323 844 [email protected]://peacebourne.webplus.net/SPA

West Midlands CND0121 643 [email protected]

Yorkshire CND01274 730 [email protected]

Specialist sectionsChristian CND020 7700 [email protected] www.gn.apc.org/ccnd

Labour CND [email protected] www.labourcnd.org.uk

Student CND 020 7700 2393 [email protected] www.studentcnd.org.uk

Youth and Student CND 020 7700 2393

Peace CampsAldermaston Women’sPeace Camptel: 07969 739 [email protected]

Faslane Peace CampPermanent. A814, Shandon, HelensburghDumbartonshire G84 8NT tel: 01436 820901 [email protected]

Menwith Hill Women’sPeace CampContact Yorkshire CND fordetails.

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Mordechai Vanunu House • 162 Holloway Rd • London N7 8DQTel: 020 7700 2393 • [email protected] • www.cnduk.org

twitter:@CNDuk • facebook: facebook.com/cnduk

Company Registration 3533653

Documents

Campaign Review 2012-13