THE Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament will hold its largest event of the year in Glasgow tomorrow – with active involvement from trade unionists, environmental activists and others across civic Scotland.
The Stop the Nuclear Nightmare: Build Scotland for People and Peace conference will platform expert and high-profile guests to address the real and increasing threats nuclear weapons pose to Scotland.
People can still register for the conference – being held in Adelaide Place Baptist Church from 10am until 4pm – at www.ticketsource.co.uk/the-scottish-campaign-for-nuclear-disarmament/stop-the-nuclear-nightmare/e-gyzqkx
We will enjoy keynote speeches from senior political figures such as SNP depute leader Keith Brown and popular activists including Sid Khan of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Alongside CND UK general secretary Sophie Bolt and Sophie Johnson of Stop the War, three panels on economy, environment and security will feature RMT Scottish organiser Gordon Martin, MP Brian Leishman, MSP Patrick Harvie, Craig Dalzell of Common Weal and Professor Stuart Parkinson from Scientists for Global Responsibility. They will challenge dominant narratives and propose alternative and more hopeful visions for Scotland’s future.
The conference coincides with a fever pitch in geopolitical tensions. The US Navy is encircling Venezuela, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine grinds on and takes many lives daily, and Israel regularly violates the recently signed Gaza ceasefire.
Nuclear-armed states have gone rogue the world over. Their belligerent actions are revealing the offensive basis of so-called deterrence and how this illogical doctrine undermines international peace and security.
The gathering also comes at a time when the UK’s nuclear weapons programme has been showing notable signs of strain. A report by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (Nista) showed worsening prospects for various elements of the UK’s nuclear weapons programme, continuing a years-long trend.
Analysis of the Nista report by the Nuclear Information Service (Nis) highlighted three important aspects. First, the project to build new nuclear-capable Dreadnought submarines to replace the current Vanguard class was categorised by Nista as “exempt” from assessment.
This is new and concerning, given that previous reports have rated the Dreadnought programme poorly and highlighted significant obstacles to its successful delivery. Secondly, Nista rated as “red” the project to build nuclear reactor cores for new Dreadnought and Aukus-class nuclear submarines. Red is the worst possible rating, meaning a project is currently deemed “unachievable” by Nista. Thirdly, the project to upgrade the His Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Devonport maintenance dock was also downgraded to a “red”.
Nis says “the persistent low ratings and underperformance of these projects in previous reports, as also previously investigated by Nis, indicate deep-rooted structural issues within the Defence Nuclear Enterprise”.
Meanwhile, the UK’s current nuclear submarines are already past their design life and in a dangerously worsening condition.
A month ago, a Vanguard submarine returned from a 203-day assignment. This has become routine for vessels originally intended for three-month patrols.
These extended patrols are due to the aging submarines spending long stints in maintenance docks. Six months underwater puts huge pressure on submarine crews and the boats.
Whether the disrepair of the Vanguard vessels is related to recent radioactive risk incidents at HMNB Clyde will not be known if the Ministry of Defence continues to reject calls for investigation.
What we do know, thanks to reporting from The Ferret, is that a radioactive pollution incident took place at the Coulport nuclear bombs storage facility in 2019 due to failures to properly maintain plumbing.
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) believes that no unsafe levels of radioactive pollution occurred during the 2019 leakage. However, recent reports about poor maintenance at Coulport, alongside improper handling of radioactive waste, raise concerns about the possibility of far more serious future incidents.
Ageing submarines, dilapidated facilities and a nuclear modernisation programme facing serious obstacles and spiralling costs – it is only sensible to wonder whether the current regime of “continuous at sea deterrence” can last another eight years-plus until the Dreadnought submarines are ready – if they can be built at all.
This looks like a nuclear weapons system coming apart at the seams - but certainly not for lack of funding.
The sums funding nuclear militarism are breathtaking – an official £128 billion on Trident replacement (likely to be much more), £15bn for new nuclear warheads, several billions to buy and operate new nuclear-capable jets.
Gargantuan investment in WMDs will not help the UK deal with the major climate threat to our national security. Indeed, the UK’s nuclear weapons are a massive environmental hazard in themselves.
The fantasy of nuclear “deterrence” is dangerous, financially unsustainable, and unfit for the real security challenges of the 21st century.
An alternative, hopeful vision will be presented in Glasgow tomorrow. With the UK’s omnicide weapons in our backyard, Scotland has a key role to play in resisting the nuclear nightmare.
Samuel Rafanell-Williams is campaigns and communications officer for the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
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