Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Wednesday Vigil at Faslane Gates - help needed due to bail conditions

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Published on Monday, 13 February 2017 10:36

Faslane Peace Camp, Scottish CND and other peace movement groups have maintained a weekly vigil at the main gate at Faslane from 4pm to 5 pm every Wednesday for a number of years.

The vigil involves people standing peacefully with placards and banners as workers leave the base on their way home.

Peace Camp residents usually attend the vigil. However we understand that 3 peace camp residents have recently been banned from attending the vigil due to a pending court case relating to some non violent direct action they have recently been involved in.

This situation leaves the weekly vigil  short handed  - so any Scottish CND members or supporters who can attend the weekly vigil even if only occasionally - would be most welcome.

Brian Quail found Not Guilty

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Published on Friday, 10 February 2017 11:53

Brian Quail, the pensioner who holds up nuclear warhead convoys in the name of peace was today cleared of a charge of Breach of the Peace.

On 10^th March 2016 Brian held up a convoy of lorries carrying nuclear bombs at a pelican crossing in Balloch.  As a result he was charged with Breach of the Peace, for which he was found Not Guilty at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on 9th February 2017.

The verdict was reached after he gave a long and passionate speech, bringing even the clerk of the court close to tears. He explained what convoys are and mentioned a variety of laws, national and international, broken by their presence on our roads. He referred to Hiroshima and Nagasaki and his own ignorance to consequences of these bombs at the time. He went on to talk about the dreadful effects of nuclear testing and referred to the imminent negotiations towards a Global Nuclear Ban Treaty at the UN in New York. He spoke movingly of his personal motivation, not just to protect his family, but all families.

Life After Trident, 11 Feb

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Published on Friday, 27 January 2017 10:30

Join Helesnburgh CND at their conference on 11 Feb, 1 - 5 pm (Helensburgh Parish Church Halls, Colquhoun Square, Helensburgh, G84 8UP)

Speakers

Professor Mike Danson (Heriot-Watt University)

Janet Fenton (Scottish CND)

Brendan O'Hara (MP Argyll & Bute)

Lesley Riddoch (Journalist & Broadcaster)

Chair: Alannah Maurer (Navy Not Nuclear)

Trident Missile Cover up

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Published on Tuesday, 24 January 2017 15:05

Scottish CND have said that the cover up following the failed Trident missile test last year gives considerable cause for concern.
Arthur West chair of Scottish CND said -
It is scandalous that there now appears to be a cover up of this incident. This is sharp contrast to the publicity given to previous tests which we understand have taken place in 1994 , 1995, 1997, 2000,2005, 2009 and 2012.
Arthur West said that Scottish CND are supporting calls from across the Peace Movement for an inquiry into both the incident and the decision not to make the information available to Parliament.
Scottish CND are also asking their members and supporters to contact their MPs and ask them to support this call for an inquiry.

Read more about this story on BBC

Some points about Trident Missile Fiasco

Ban Treaty Week of Action 10 - 17 Feb 2017

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Published on Monday, 23 January 2017 10:15

Last year Scotland held numerous demos to oppose the Trident vote. Now we found out that Theresa May covered up a failed Trident missile test right before the vote. We must challenge the UK's bad decision. Negotiations for a Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty start in March at The United Nations meeting in New York. The Ban is supported by most member states – but not the UK, and the UK media are not reporting it so far. It is up to us to tell the good news.

ICAN calls for an worldwide Week of Action from 10th to 17th Feb.
SCND and others are working with the Scrap Trident Coalition to make a big impression!

Are you willing to organise a street stall or arrange a photograph opportunity in your local area after work one evening or during the weekend in the week of action?

We have postcards and leaflets to tell the Ban Treaty story (from the SCND and Edinburgh Peace & Justice offices). We need everyone in Scotland to see them. You can ask your local MSPs to get involved and get everyone to register on http://nuclearban.org.

Did you know that Britain spends more on the military than Russia?

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Published on Friday, 20 January 2017 14:15

2016 saw their UK overtake Putin's Russia in defence spending top ten, according to Janes Defence Weekly by way of Bloomberg Markets

Peace Comic

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Published on Wednesday, 21 December 2016 09:35

You are invited to check out this delightful peace comic made by one of our supporters.

Read it here.

Eric Wallace

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Published on Monday, 19 December 2016 12:00

Scottish CND has received the very sad news that Eric Wallace passed away over the weekend .

Eric was a stalwart of Scottish CND and the wider Peace Movement for many years.

Up until recently he could be seen at the weekly vigil at Faslane

Eric was quite simply a tireless campaigner in the struggle to get rid of nuclear weapons from Scotland and the world.

He was also a very decent and caring human being . Eric will be sadly missed. His lifelong partner, Dorothy also passed away earlier this year. Our thought are with their families. 

Letter to Jackie Bailie

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Published on Monday, 05 December 2016 13:39

Arthur West chair of Scottish CND has written to Labour MSP Jackie Baillie after she characterised work undertaken on defence diversification as a "pig in the poke" in an amendment to a Scottish Parliamentary motion.

The  original motion has been put up by a number of MSPs  in recent days and  is focussed on  welcoming a recent report by the respected Jimmy  Reid Foundation.

The  Jimmy Reid Foundation report follows on from previous work undertaken by our former co-ordinator John Ainslie and former chair Alan MacKinnon . The report makes a compelling case for scraping trident and spending the money saved on decent things such as housing,health and education.

Arthur West said he was very disappointed that Ms Bailie appears to have dismissed this latest report on the important subject of diversification.

He said that in his letter to the MSP he had asked  her to consider the substantial work that has been done on defence diversification issues.

Arthur West said it looks as though Jackie Baillie needs to give consideration to the issue of what society could do with money saved by scrapping trident. We now have a situation where in areas such as local government thousands of jobs have disappeared in recent years.  Scrapping trident would give us resources and funds to sustain and develop jobs across socially useful areas of the economy such as quality local government services.

Arthur West

Chair of Scottish CND

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