Trident
Britain's best know peace campaigner will this Sunday (11th April) highlight the lack of debate during the general election campaign so far over levels of spending on nuclear weapons. The estimated cost of replacing Trident is in the region of £75-£100 billion - which is around 15 times the £6 billion of proposed 'efficiency savings' which have dominated the party political debates over the last few days. The CND Vice President, Bruce Kent wishes to now push for 'real debate' about the huge levels of spending on Trident nuclear weapons, as part of the general election campaign.
Ekklesia 10th Apr 2010
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/11770
The Liberal Democrats have said they will not replace Trident nuclear-armed submarines, but they have still not broken the overall nuclear hold on their defence policy, say critics - including environmentalists and disarmament campaigners. The challenge was echoed by the leader of the Green Party in England and Wales, Caroline Lucas, in a speech late last week at the Flame of Hope rally was held as US President Obama and Russian President Medvedev signed a new nuclear arms reduction treaty, cutting the number of warheads held by Russia and the US.
Ekklesia 11th Apr 2010
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/11779
Disarmament
Observer Editorial: President Obama will this week host a nuclear security summit in Washington, where he will hope to build some momentum for wider disarmament. That is a daunting project that has to involve such unpliable states as India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel and Iran. Given the scale of that task, President Obama is wise to have inaugurated a thaw with Russia. With a new generation of nuclear threats needing attention, defusing Cold War bombs is a task long overdue.
Observer 11th Apr 2010
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/11/barack-obama-medvedev-nuclear-warheads
The US and Russia are one step closer to nuclear disarmament, after signing the New Start treaty at a lavish ceremony in Prague. But a curious hangover from the threat of nuclear Armageddon is still in use across the Czech Republic. Every first Wednesday of the month, at precisely midday, air raid sirens ring out across the country.
BBC 10th Apr 2010
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8611693.stm
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