Kingston Peace Council have a stall twice monthly in Kingston Market Place.
We are continually banging on about Trident to the extent it is sometimes better to give it a rest and refocus. We are dedicating our stall on June 18 to Trident and George Fairbrother's affirmation campaign. We get involved in so many things too and it is hard to give energy constantly to everything.
I am interested that Andy Burnham was such a firm supporter of Labour's Trident policy. I always took him as a bit of a left winger and inclined towards a degree of independence. This kind of party politician belongs in the dustbin of history but it looks as if we may still be in that era together for a few years yet.
We haven't tackled Zac Goldsmith yet but we plan a group visit in the near future and planned to tackle issues about the arms trade and Middle Eastern dictators. I have found him quite amenable on a number of issues but my technique is to try a gradual approach in preference to a head on challenge. I certainly found a sympathetic hearing when I challenged the nuclear lobby view that nuclear energy is safe - intended to reassure everyone after the recent Japanese experience.
We have to think about how we pitch our public campaigning in Kingston. The financial argument was a useful one set against government cuts. We might want to try another tack next time.
On June 18 we shall emphasize the illegality and consequences of nuclear weapons' use, either by accident or design, and their illegality. On the stall I shall try to home in on compassion and humanity which most shoppers will have somewhere on their person.
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