Trident
A LABOUR MP is in secret talks with the SNP about leaving the party and defecting to the Nationalists, the Sunday Herald has learned. The SNP hierarchy has had several high-level discussions with the politician, who is said to be unhappy with Tony Blair’s foreign policy. Nationalist leader Alex Salmond hopes to unveil his new recruit ahead of May’s crucial Holyrood election. The revelation is the latest blow for Labour as they attempt to hold on to power in the Scottish parliament. Various opinion polls have found Labour lagging behind the SNP, whose leadership are treating the Holyrood poll as their best ever chance of winning an election. The continuing crisis in Iraq, the UK government’s support for renewing Trident and the cash-for-peerages controversy are thought to be harming Jack McConnell’s chances of retaining power.
Sunday Herald 7th Jan 2007
As Green MSPs take part in a parliamentarian blockade of Faslane WMD base today (Monday 8th January), Green MSP Chris Ballance has revealed that he is to propose a new law for the party’s Holyrood 2007 manifesto which would ban the use of Scotland’s roads and inshore waters to move weapons of mass destruction.
Green Party Press Release 7th Jan 2007
AN SNP-LED Executive would put itself on a collision course with the UK government by criminalising ministers and civil servants who prepare the groundwork for using nuclear weapons based in Scotland. Nationalist leader Alex Salmond has said he will back a bill as first minister which would thwart the renewal of the Trident missile system. He believes the measure will help make Holyrood the political centre for ridding Scotland of weapons of mass destruction.
Sunday Herald 7th Jan 2007
THREE elected representatives from Wales are to take part in a demonstration today at the gates of a nuclear weapons base in Scotland. The Welsh elected representatives expected to attend are Hywel Williams MP, Leanne Wood AM and Janet Davies MEP, who is also chair of CND Cymru.
ICWales 8th Jan 2007
Opposition MSPs will on Monday protest against weapons of mass destruction at the gates of a naval base. Several SNP, SSP and Green politicians will join protesters who are taking part in a year-long demonstration at the Faslane submarine base on the Clyde.
ICScotland 8th Jan 2007
Israel/Iran
ISRAEL’S government yesterday denied a newspaper report that it has drawn up plans to use low-yield nuclear weapons against up to three targets in a bid to stop Tehran’s uranium enrichment effort.
Scotsman 8th Jan 2007
Times 8th Jan 2007
Iranian reformist parliamentarians on Saturday blamed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government for failing to prevent United Nations sanctions. The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously on December 23 to impose sanctions on Iran’s trade in sensitive nuclear materials and technology in an attempt to stop uranium enrichment work that could produce material that could be used in bombs.
Reuters 7th Jan 2007
By a series of stumbles and lurches, we have come closer to a nuclear conflagration than at any time since the bombing of Nagasaki. Although Israel has – thank Heaven – disavowed reports that it is planning a direct strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, there can be little doubt that Tel Aviv would authorise such attacks if the only other option were a nuclear Iran.
Telegraph 8th Jan 2007
Decommissioning
Unions representing workers in Britain’s nuclear industry are seeking urgent talks with the government over concerns about a shortfall in funding for the country’s nuclear clean-up programme.
Guardian 8th Jan 2007
THORP
Following on from the Whitehaven News report on 4th Jan that three German companies are to take BNFL to court to prevent the company claiming back the costs of the THORP leak from them, Greenpeace highlights the previously published transcript of the case, brought by the Health and Safety Executive, last October, which centred on the events that led up to 83,000 litres of highly radioactive dissolved spent fuel leaking into the area beneath a tank in the reprocessing facility. The damning judgement from the Crown Court in Carlisle which led to BNFL’s £500,000 fineis also available.This is likely to form the basis of the German companies case at the High Court.
Greenpeace
