The nuclear threat hasn’t gone away

IN I January, the Treaty on the t Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (the UN’s nuclear ban treaty) began.

This criminalises nuclear weapons in the countries that sign it. In February, the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was renewed by the US and Russia, meaning nuclear arsenals should be further reduced. Increasing Britain’s nuclear arsenal contravenes our legal o obligations under the n nuclear Non-Proliferation T Treaty (this requires countries that have nuclear weapons to disarm, and prevents currently non-nuclear states from becoming nuclear) which Britain ratified in 1970.

CND recently commissioned polling which indicated 77% of the UK public support the global nuclear ban.

These facts prove that increasing nuclear power is illegal under international law. We aren’t all unilateralists, but all rational human beings are multilateralists.

A report published on March 16 includes a 40% increase in the nuclear stockpile. Britain has around 200 nukes (and had previously promised to reduce this to 180 by the mid 2020s). It will now be increased to 260. Each one is about eight times as powerful as used on Hiroshima.

These weapons of mass destruction cannot be justified. Nuclear exchange would end all life and is still the most important issue in the world today. We must unite, and persuade, request, and push, the Government to cancel this proliferation.

Perhaps we could educate ourselves on this issue to build a force for change, or candlelit vigils on holy days or at holy times (dawn and dusk?) as we offer sincere and earnest prayer for a world without war or nuclear. Or write to our elected leaders (MP, AM and councillors) or the Ministry of Defence. CND is still a force for change and has begun a campaign along these lines – perhaps when the lockdown ends, demonstration can begin?

Mr J Bucke Cefn Glas, Bridgend