Welsh Quakers oppose possible Trident move
Friends in Wales respond to comments from the first minister about possible Trident move
The Welsh first minister has drawn criticism from Quakers and other peace campaigners after saying that he would be happy for the Trident nuclear weapons system to be relocated to Wales. The Scottish government have insisted that Trident would have to leave its home in Faslane if Scotland becomes independent.
The Ministry of Defence admitted earlier this year that they would not know where to house Trident if Faslane were no longer available (see ‘Trident beleaguered from all sides’, 24 February). The debate has continued for months, with armed forces minister Nick Harvey admitting that relocating Trident would ‘cost a gargantuan amount’.
Carwyn Jones, first minister of Wales, said last week that Trident would be ‘more than welcome’ at Milford Haven. The Welsh government said it would provide an ‘economic boost’ bringing ‘thousands of high-quality, well-paid jobs to the area’.
CND Cymru, the Welsh wing of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, described the claim as ‘unsubstantiated’. They said that the first minister did not appear to have assessed costs or risks before making the statement.
The UK government refused to comment officially on the Welsh offer. They said they would make ‘no plans for [Scottish] independence’ because they believe Scotland will vote to remain in the UK.
Becky Lowe of Swansea Meeting is one of the Welsh Quakers who has written to her MP about the issue. She told the Friend: ‘Carwyn Jones doesn’t speak for me, and I don’t think he speaks for the majority of people in Wales’. She added: ‘Even those who are not opposed to Trident would have to admit that placing them [nuclear submarines] here in Wales would have a negative impact on local house prices and tourism, not to mention the possible threat to national security.’
Plaid Cymru’s leader Leanne Wood was among the first to criticise the idea. She said: ‘Far better if the billions of pounds of money that is spend on Trident was spent on tackling the problems that face the people of Wales every day of their lives.’ She said it could be invested in job creation, the health service or education.
Members of Trident Ploughshares are currently engaged in thirty days of nonviolent direct action at Faslane. A number of them have been arrested after entering or blocking the base.
Last week saw criticism of the UK government’s decision to spend £1.1bn on contracts with Rolls-Royce to renew parts of Trident submarines. A decision on whether to renew Trident is officially not due until 2016. CND’s Kate Hudson said: ‘It is no surprise that the public are incredulous when they are told that Britain doesn’t have any money’.
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