Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Support the hunger strike against Missile Defence
Use our model letter and email tool to lobby your MEP for a European Parliament debate on the US plans.

Petition: No to Trident Replacement – Yes to a Nuclear Weapons Convention
Sign online or download a printable petition.

Lobby your MP to sign two motions
'Parliament and decisions over US Missile Defence' and 'Nuclear Weapons Convention'. Visit our Parliamentary page for model letters.

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US withdraws its nuclear weapons from the UK

CND is celebrating the news that 110 US tactical nuclear weapons have been withdrawn from Lakenheath airbase in Suffolk. A report by weapons expert Hans Kristensen concludes that there are now no US nuclear weapons in Britain - for the first time since 1954.

The removal follows years of campaigning by CND and the local Lakenheath Action Group against the deployment of 'freefall' nuclear bombs at the base. US nuclear weapons were removed from Greece in 2001 and opposition across Europe is growing - in 2005 the Belgian Senate demanded the removal of US nuclear weapons from Europe, whilst only last week Germany's Social Democrats demanded the withdrawal of US nuclear weapons from German bases.

But the withdrawal of the bombs from Lakenheath should not give a green light to the installation there of interceptor missiles for the US Missile Defence system, a proposal Tony Blair put to the US in February last year. To withdraw the Cold War weapons but still pursue US Missile Defence would be to replace one historical arms race with another, with Europe again at the centre.

No to US Missile Defence: protest escalates

Leading campaigners took part in a hunger strike and vigil opposite Downing Street on Sunday 22nd as part of a global day of protest against US plans to place Missile Defence bases in Europe. Tony Benn, Bruce Kent, Jean Lambert MEP, Stop the War Coalition Chair Andrew Murray and Pat Arrowsmith joined CND Chair Kate Hudson in delivering a letter to the Prime Minister.

The 24 hunger strike was part of an ongoing ‘chain’ hunger strike by politicians and celebrities in the Czech Republic where the US wants to build a Missile Defence radar station. The action started when two Czech campaigners refused all food for three weeks, further increasing pressure on the Government, whose majority in Parliament is on a knife-edge. With hunger strikes and vigils held in many cities across the globe, we need to keep up the pressure against this destabilising system. Missile Defence is already leading to a new nuclear arms race and the possibilty of a new Cold War.

The European Union has not reached an agreed position on the installation of the US Missile Defence system in Europe, despite the risk of the military bases putting Europe on the front line in future US wars. They are essential to US war plans and any future US enemy will attempt to destroy them. Opinion polls show majority opposition to the system across Europe.
We ask that you write to your MEPs to express your opposition and demand a plenary debate in the European Parliament on the role of US Missile Defence in Europe. Click here to email your MEPs.

George W. Bush - not welcome here!

President George W. Bush visited London during his final European tour this past Sunday.

CND, Stop the War and the British Muslim Initiative organised a protest in London against Bush and his war crimes, and against the British government's continuing support for his wars.

Following the aggressive policing of the demonstration CND has written to the Home Secretary to raise this and a number of other issues relating to freedom of protest. You can complain to Jacqui Smith on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it