How to lobby your MP on Trident replacement

Contact your MP

• Find your MP and their contact details
• You should receive a reply to your questions – a letter may have more impact than an email
• Arrange to meet them face-to-face in Parliament, their local office or a public surgery

 The basic facts about Trident

Trident is Britain’s nuclear weapons system. It is made up of four nuclear submarines. One of the submarines patrols the seas at all times, with up to eight missiles on board: each missile carries up to five nuclear bombs. The submarines, which came into service in the 1990s, start to reach the end of their service lives in the early 2030s. The government has started the replacement process, following a decision by Parliament in 2016 which gave the final go-ahead to build new submarines. This means that Britain will be nuclear-armed until the 2050s and beyond.

CND campaigns to Stop Trident, with the goal of cancelling the replacement programme.

Position of the political parties

• The Green Party, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru are all opposed to nuclear weapons. The Liberal Democrats are opposed to a full ‘like-for-like’ Trident replacement.
• The Conservative Party, the Labour Party and the DUP currently support Trident replacement.

 Points to raise with your MP

• Morality Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction which are intended to kill indiscriminately. Their use would breach international law and rules of war.
• Expense The total cost of replacing Trident will be more than £205 billion. This money would be better spent on employing more nurses and teachers, developing renewable energy, building houses or scrapping tuition fees.
• Security No one seems to be able to identify who or what Trident will defend us from. Nuclear weapons are useless against the real threats we face today such as terrorism, cyber warfare and climate change. Senior military figures call for them to be scrapped.
• Humanity One nuclear weapon would kill hundreds of thousands of people and have a devastating impact on the world’s climate, leading to a fatal drop in food production. The International Red Cross doubts any government or aid organisation could adequately respond.
• Diplomacy The majority of states at the United Nations have voted in favour of a global nuclear weapons ban treaty, which opened for signature in September 2017. The UK agreed to disarm in 1968 by signing the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but now risks being left on the sidelines of this new global disarmament initiative by opposing the new treaty.

What you want your MP to do

• Sign Early Day Motion 374 calling for the UK government to support the Global Nuclear Ban Treaty
• Support CND by joining Parliamentary CND, chaired by Caroline Lucas MP.

Resources

• More resources and detailed information
• Please contact CND’s campaigns team if you have any questions: 020 7700 2393 or email parliamentary@cnduk.org.