Today we received news from our WILPF Scotland branch about what they are doing in the struggle for universal disarmament. Disarmament can begin in your own neighborhood, with your own politicians, and in this case, it is with the Scottish National Party (SNP). Our Scottish members have joined a coalition to prevent the party from remaining a member of NATO if secession from the United Kingdom occurs.
The SNP has always had universal disarmament as one of its policies and has held a long-standing position that the Trident nuclear missiles that are stationed in the country will be removed and dismantled upon independence.
If the SNP decides to remain in NATO, this will be seen as extremely contradictory since NATO has nuclear missiles stationed in various countries. NATO is a nuclear armed alliance with over 5,000 nuclear weapons.
Stemming from the proposal to remain in NATO following Independence, made by UK Parliament member Angus Robertson, the Westminster and Scottish National Party spokesperson on Defence, members of the disarmament group, Trident Ploughshares, issued an invitation to activists and peace groups to respond to this news.
WILPF answers the call
Our branch in Scotland, of course, was there to answer the call and join in the action against a decision that is antithetical to universal disarmament. The coalition’s aim is to protest the conference resolution and lobby the members of Parliament, as well as local councilors, to vote against this resolution, which will take place in October.
Members of the No-to-NATO campaign have already been protesting this month, such as when the Scottish Parliament Cabinet met on August 23rd. The protests have received a substantial amount of coverage in the Scottish press.
Here at the international office we are very proud of, and inspired by, our members in Scotland who are taking real action in the fight for disarmament. They are holding their political parties accountable and making sure they do not retract their promises and party platforms that made them popular in the first place.
The coalition has issued a unified statement and formed a website where people can show their support. They are asking people from Scotland and people from all over the world to join in the call for disarmament.
Please visit the campaign’s website or check out their Facebook page.