Trident, Jeremy Corbyn needs to have a change of mood on Trident renewal, his position has responsibilities beyond him, he took on the job of Labour leader; he is applying for the job of Prime Minister, if he fails to understand what national security is, who is going to make him Prime Minister?

Dear All

The Campaign for Nuclear disarmament has been running for decades and despite that the people of Britain and the mostly rationale political class back it to the hilt.

Then we have the CND politicians who want to get rid of nuclear weapons.

These people argue that if nuclear weapons were abandoned them we would live in a much nicer place and our domestic situation would be much better as the money freed up from Trident could be put into communities.

That is a load of rubbish; it is the politics of the student union and has no business being done by people in senior elected office.

When you are in senior public office, you have to see the big picture; you are there to be the government not the opposition holding government. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn got in popular demand, but before you get all emotional you should remember that the opposition he faced wasn’t particularly liked being Blairities.

The Labour Conference will be happening in Brighton, presumably this will be a very lively affair and lots of cheering etc, but the real business will be getting Labour members to understand the simple fact of life.

You cannot uninvent the wheel.

The nuclear deterrent which sits on the Clyde isn’t simply just the subs and the missiles, or even the jobs connected to it, it is a symbol that Britain stands squarely behind the concept of Western defence. The United Nations Security Council has five permanent members; United States, Russia, China, France and Britain, all have nuclear weapons.

Would Britain remain a permanent member if it abandoned nuclear weapons?

Isn’t that a question worth asking?

For ordinary workers and unions, they aren’t seriously interested in defence, but they are interested in jobs and communities.

To that end Jeremy Corbyn, along with Nicola Sturgeon have been urged to “get real” by the GMB union over Trident renewal.

You can forget getting any help from Sturgeon, she doesn’t care whose lives she wrecks but Corbyn needs to understand that his position isn’t for his personal beliefs; it is for making the best decision in the interests of the Country.

Keeping and renewing Trident is in the best interest of Britain.

It is understandable that the GMB wants to fight for the jobs of its members and they are right to do so, by default they are also hoping to change the direction of the new Labour leader.

Jeremy Corbyn needs to get with the programme, if he runs on getting rid of Trident at an election, he will lose, and he will continue to lose until he ‘gets real’.

Bottom lines; if he isn’t good at international affairs then farm it out to someone who will do what is necessary.  At the Labour Conference, you can expect a lot of divisions among senior Labour party members on this issue. Apparently a number of local constituency parties have tabled motions opposing Trident.

Protesting is very popular in opposition but as I said, not in government or not for any party serious about being in government.

Trident is a test for Corbyn, is it his first major political dilemma as a vice-chairman of CND? I would say so, he has been elected leader but he needs to take his party with him, and get onside his MPs.

Gary Smith, GMB Scotland Acting Secretary, said:

“In a world facing many threats and dangers, a properly functioning defence capability is essential to deal with often unpredictable and unforeseen events that threaten national security. The 40,000 defence workers in Scotland are as vital to our national security as the armed forces. Without the skills of the workforce in the yards on the Clyde and Rosyth the Royal Navy could not defend the nation. It makes no sense to abandon our longstanding overall defence strategy unilaterally for solely political reasons. That goes for Trident and the jobs at Faslane and Barrow.”

Jeremy Corbyn has responsibilities beyond him, he took on the job of Labour leader; he is applying for the job of Prime Minister, if he fails to understand what national security is, who is going to make him Prime Minister?

He has to change his view.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University