19 September 2007: for immediate release

A new global poll, comparing opinion in Britain, France, Italy, Germany, the US and Israel provides compelling new evidence of a public demand for the government to push for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Only 0.9% of Britons say the government's goal should be the development of new nuclear weapons [see note 2 & 3 for link to full figures]. Earlier this year the Government opted to go ahead with the renewal of the Trident nuclear missile submarines.

Other findings include:

• Over 90% support for eliminating (50.9%) or reducing (39.7%) global nuclear stockpiles
  
• A huge majority (73.4%) believing that nuclear weapons make the world a more dangerous place
  85% support for a global ban on nuclear weapons
  
• Over 80% supporting a ban on weapons being placed in space
  
  The poll, 'Global Public Opinion on Nuclear Weapons', produced by The Simons Foundation of Vancouver, Canada, questioned 1,000 people in each country.

Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said
“When less than 1% of the public think the goal of British nuclear weapons policy should be the development of new bombs, it is absurd for the Government to replace Trident whilst dismissing calls for negotiations on the draft Nuclear Weapons Convention lodged at the UN. The government, again, is woefully out of step with British public opinion. CND, along with a growing number of states, wants to see serious work on this treaty which would place nuclear weapons - alongside biological and chemical weapons - banned by international law.”

CND is part of ICAN (the International Campaign To Abolish Nuclear Weapons), launched by International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War [see note 4], which calls for such a convention.

Figures from the British results include:

What should be the goal of Britain’s national government when it comes to nuclear weapons?
Eliminating nuclear weapons worldwide
50.9%
Reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the world to lower levels
39.7%
Maintaining the current number of nuclear weapons in the world
4.9%
Developing new nuclear weapons
0.9%
Not sure
3.6%

Do you think nuclear weapons make the world a safer place or a more dangerous place?
A safer place
18.2%
A more dangerous place
73.4%
Not sure
8.4%

Do you support or oppose eliminating all nuclear weapons in the world through an enforceable agreement?
Strongly support
50.2%
Moderately support
34.3%
Moderately oppose
7.0%
Strongly oppose
2.3%
Not sure
6.2%

And, in a question relevant to US plans for Missile Defence, which in future stages may see space-based interceptors in addition to the current surveillance satellites:

Do you support or oppose enacting a treaty that would ban all weapons in space?
Strongly support
58.1%
Moderately support
24.3%
Moderately oppose
6.9%
Strongly oppose
2.3%
Not sure
8.4%

end

Notes to Editors:

For further information and interviews please contact Ben Soffa, CND's Press & Communications Officer, on 0207 7002350 or 07968 420859
Full report at http://www.angusreidstrategies.com/uploads/pages/pdfs/Simons%20Report.pdf
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons www.icanw.org
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is one of Europe’s biggest single-issue peace campaigns, with over 35,000 members in the UK. CND campaigns for the abolition of all nuclear weapons everywhere. www.cnduk.org