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For decades, Kevin White was the party’s leading peace campaigner. His death last year came as a shock to his friends and party colleagues. In the following article he sets out his view on the party’s defence stance.
The LibDems have sadly turned from being a party of peace into one with a bellicose similarity to the Tory and Labour parties when it comes to defence and disarmament. In the time of the old Liberal Party we were committed to working with international institutions, but today we stand against signing the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and foursquare and in full support of Trident and its successors.
How did this come about? We talk about saving the world from climate change yet are prepared to countenance a nuclear war that would result in nuclear winter, devastate the planet and threaten the extinction of human and most other forms of life. Is it because we are so hung up with scrabbling for the votes of ignorant Tory and Labour potential swing voters that we are willing to do the wrong things regardless of the consequences? Is it because we are now so servile to our party’s leadership that we wish to imitate the proverbial lambs to the slaughter? Whatever it is, we, by adopting the policies of the other head in the sand parties, are turning our backs on the quest for peace and an end to weapons of mass destruction.
A frank and honest debate has been avoided
Many peace-seeking LibDems had been trying to get the party to debate the aforementioned UN Treaty before the wretched September Conference of 2022 but had obstacles placed in our way by the Federal Conference Committee. As a result, the motion submitted by the party’s Defence spokesperson Major Foord (Ret’d) just dismissed it in a few words and no real debate on it took place. If that is not snubbing the countries we now falsely claim to wish to work with then I don’t know what is.
Worse still, Major Foord displayed a fondness for nuclear armed submarines which matches that of his boss Sir Edward Davey, who is on record saying he would be willing to press the so-called Red Button to launch its warheads. How far away are the days when Liberal leaders refused to support the UK’s so called independent nuclear “deterrent”? Long gone, I fear.
It’s time for the grass roots to become active once more
So, what, if anything, can be done to turn the party back into a principled and peace-seeking one? I suppose that the bombing and incineration of the odd city or two might give pause for thought but that path is not one anybody professing to be a Liberal would want. So, those of us who care for the survival of the planet and its inhabitants must, if we haven’t given up in despair, continue to press the case for an end to nuclear weapons.
We can do that via the usual methods using social media, leaflets, motions to local and regional parties but we must also be willing to question and demand assurances from those seeking public office be they PPCs/MPs, councillors, council candidates (yes there are local authorities here and in other countries that have and will take action to apply pressure) MSPs, AMs or whatever. It would also be good if the party’s youth wings devoted themselves to peace and not war. It is up to each and every one of us to secure the future survival of the planet.
Let’s do it.
