I remember being told about CND marches in the 1980s that my dad had gone on. Stories of thousands of people gathering behind a political cause seemed a long way away from the apathy of my generation. I remember watching the film When the Wind Blows and seeing the reality of nuclear war for ordinary people play out on the screen, but I hadn’t ever heard a leading politician stand up against nuclear weapons. So while I always opposed nuclear weapons and any move to replace Trident, it didn’t seem that the consensus among the elites could be challenged.
Something changed this summer. After the Labour party’s disastrous election defeat, Jeremy Corbyn came from nowhere to be the leadership frontrunner. Suddenly politics was exciting: people queued to hear Corbyn speak and my friends who had never mentioned politics before were talking about building a different society. He was challenging views that had been accepted without question for far too long, in the party and in wider society. And at the forefront of this was Britain’s continued renewal of Trident.
Corbyn introduced nuclear disarmament to a new generation over the summer. He articulated that Trident did nothing to tackle the real problems facing the world now, which chimed with those of use too young to remember the fear of nuclear war. The threats of the future come from things like climate change and terrorism, neither of which are reduced by having Trident.
I voted for Corbyn, and was thrilled when he won the leadership with such a huge mandate. The grassroots of the Labour party has decisively spoken in favour of scrapping Trident. It seemed for the first time I could remember that there was a possibility of change. As the feeling of elation faded and Corbyn came under sustained attack for his position, I felt that I had to do more.
So I decided that I had to sign up and become a CND member. I’m not only standing with Corbyn and those in the Labour party who are campaigning for change, but I’ve also added my name to the thousands of CND members across the country. It’s about saying that a better world is possible. A world where we have genuine peace and security. A world where our security comes from properly funded public services and everyone having decent housing and a good job. A world where the children I teach don’t have to grow up with the constant threat of nuclear war and annihilation.
As a teacher I have seen the impact of spending cuts. Students facing massive debt to get a degree, and even then not being able to get on the housing ladder or a decent job. Local councils being stripped of the funding they need to carry out essential functions. All the while the government ploughs millions into a weapon of mass destruction which does nothing to keep us safe, and threatens the whole of humanity.
With Corbyn as leader, the Labour party shows once again that we achieve more together than we do alone. By joining CND, the voices of everyone opposed to the government’s plan to spend £100bn on Trident’s replacement can say with loud, clear voice “Not in my name”.
I’m already looking forward to the Stop Trident demonstration on 20 February next year, following in the footsteps of people like my dad who marched all those years ago, and hoping that I won’t have to hear about future marches from the next generation. If you want to join the growing number of people who are standing for a better world, why not play your part in opposing Trident replacement and join CND today. There has never been a better, or more important, time to do so.
