Rochdale
and
Littleborough Peace Group leafleted in Rochdale town centre on
Saturday 19 May 2012
saying that ‘Rochdale needs jobs and services, not nuclear
weapons’. They
called for an immediate end to spending on the Trident
nuclear weapons system
and for the scrapping of expensive plans to upgrade it. They
asked people to
sign postcards from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
calling on their MP to
“Please stop our precious money being spent on nuclear
weapons.”
On behalf of the Peace Group, Philip
Gilligan said,
“People in Rochdale have now been on
the
sharp end of cuts in essential local services for several
years. We have lost acute
inpatient services across the board at Rochdale Infirmary, and
our Council has been
forced to slash tens of £millions from planned spending on
services for some of
the most vulnerable groups in our communities. Those
signing our postcards included several people who told us
harrowing stories of their own recent experiences; of jobs
being downgraded so that experienced staff lose their jobs,
of patients and service users receiving inadequate services
and of people suffering from cancer being expected to make
their way home from the Christie Hospital at 3 am in the
morning.
Yet, while vulnerable people receive worse services and committed workers lose their jobs, the Government, with support from the Labour Party’s national leadership, continues to squander £2.2 billion every year on the Trident nuclear weapons system and refuses to abandon plans to develop even deadlier nuclear weapons of mass destruction at an estimated cost of £97billion. This is money which could be spent on improving and defending the services we need.
Based on population, Rochdale’s share of the current
costs of Britain’s
nuclear arsenal already amounts to £7million per year, but the
staggering cost
to Rochdale of so-called ’Trident Replacement’ totals over
£300million. This is
more than the Council would need to restore and maintain all
local services at
their previous uncut levels. Rochdale’s £300million could and
should be spent,
on essential health, education and social services. It is time
to tell the government
and all those who support retention of nuclear weapons that we
want our taxes
spent on decent local services not nuclear weapons.”
