Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group were in Middleton on Saturday (16 October 2010) collecting signatures for the latest Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND)'s petition calling on the government to scrap the Trident nuclear weapons system and cancel all plans to replace it. With placards declaring 'Nurses Not Nukes' and 'Treatment Not Trident', they urged people to join them in telling the government and MPs that they want an end to all spending on nuclear weapons and want the money saved spent instead on protecting education, health and social services.
On behalf of the group, Philip Gilligan said,
“At a time of economic crisis, when essential services for vulnerable people are being drastically cut, it is simply not acceptable to be spending £2,000,000,000 (£2billion) per year on nuclear weapons of mass destruction. When disabled people are being threatened with reductions in their benefits and care homes are being closed in our borough, because of a lack of funds, it is scandalous that £billions are being squandered on new facilities at AWE Aldermaston developing ever more deadly nuclear weapons. When young people are being told that it will cost them £7,000 per year in tuition fees at university, it is crazy that the government is still planning to spend tens of £billions on a new nuclear weapons system we do not need. It is already clear that most people in Britain are opposed to spending any more money on Trident. We want our taxes spent on decent public services, not on nuclear weapons. Trident is an immoral, illegal and hideous misuse of public funds. This is money that needs to be spent on essential services."
