Jeremy Corbyn has made a U-turn on Trident, agreeing to maintain the orders for the nuclear submarines “to save jobs” under pressure from the unions, especially the GMB and Unite. But he has ludicrously suggested they should carry conventional, not nuclear warheads.
The £167 billion it costs to run these nuclear subs – which could never be used except in the context of the annihilation of British population they are supposed to defend – needs to be totally reallocated to socially useful projects. Their only purpose is to boost Britain’s status as a UN Security Council member, with a permanent seat in the thieves’ kitchen when the loot is being divided up.
Instead of building and servicing these “monsters of the deep”, the workforces in Barrow in Furness and Faslane and their unions should be encouraged to immediately begin drafting a plan where all the workforces can be employed with no loss of pay or conditions.
What should the Labour left do on Trident? Firstly MPs who support Corbyn should vote against renewing it when it comes before parliament. Secondly the Labour Party needs to have an open and democratic debate, with the constituency membership voting on whether to keep Trident or divert this gigantic waste into social needs and safeguarding jobs.
RED FLAG thinks that socialists should oppose every attempt by our rulers to spend money on weapons and wars that exist to defend their rule.
February 27 is the national CND protest against Trident renewal in central London
