The Intelligence2 Debate
The Intelligence2 Debate
21 November 2007
The motion: Britain Doesn’t Need Trident
Concluding for the motion, Dr Rebecca Johnson, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, confessed that she had once ‘danced on nuclear weapons silos at Greenham Common’. These days her hopes for disarmament rested on the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The treaty binds all signatories, including Britain, to scrapping nuclear weapons. Our international obligations couldn’t be clearer.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the local MP, strode to the lectern and spoke with an exhilarating touch of martial crispness. He’s a far more impressive and stirring orator than his Hush Puppy performances on Newsnight would suggest. He grappled with Helena Kennedy’s emotive imagery and reminded her that casualties are not caused exclusively by nuclear weapons but by war itself. As John Major’s foreign secretary Rifkind recalled being briefed that in the event of the PM’s indisposition he would take sole control of Britain’s nuclear stockpile. ‘A sobering responsibility.’ He also corrected the suggestion, cunningly forwarded by Rebecca Johnson, that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty obliges Britain to disarm unilaterally. In fact the treaty urges the nuclear states to work for a general reduction in their capability.
Vigorously summing up the debate, Helena Kennedy urged us to support ‘a moral cause. The voice for change. The voice for peace!’ There was an eruption of applause behind me. I turned round. It was Bianca Jagger. Doubtless she supported the motion but she was against the flow of opinion on the night. The nukes won.
Votes
Before the debate: For 283; Against 291; Don’t Know 133
After the debate: For 268; Against 429; Don’t Know 18
More articles from: Lloyd Evans | this section
Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
Advertisement
Popular Blogger Posts
1 Terry shouldn’t be captain, but that should be Capello’s decision to make - Rod Liddle
2 Snow? What snow? - Rod Liddle
3 JFK: The Nastiest President of the Twentieth Century? - Alex Massie
4 Do we really need to know more about Gary Speed’s death? - Rod Liddle
5 Scottish Labour Embrace the Logic of Independence - Alex Massie
sponsored links
THE PRESENT FINDER
1,700 Unusual Christmas Presents Request Catalogue 01935 815 195 Quote SPEC10 for 10% discount www.presentfinder.co.uk
OLIVE BRANCH FLORISTS
Pimilco based Florist with online ordering Web: www.olivebranch.net Tel: 020 7630 1868 Fax: 020 7233 8844
RUFFS Bespoke Signet rings
62 Shore Road, Warsash, Southampton, SO31 9FT Telephone: 01489 578867 Web site: www.ruffs.co.uk
Apollo Magazine | Corporate | Advertising | Privacy | Terms
Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London, SW1H 9HP
All Articles and Content Copyright ©2012 by The Spectator | All Rights Reserved
me
November 23rd, 2007 10:41pm Report this commentit is incorrect than we import warheads from the us.the warheads are british.the trident missiles are american build and are shared between the british and US ssbn
Back to top