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This is Trident, the British Nuclear Bomb.
So when a small group of activists from York protest against this astounding power, do they feel as though they’re fighting the odds?
“It’s mind blowing really,” admits York campaigner Richard Lane.
“It’s absolutely absurd that anyone could think that we need that much power. It’s almost a joke. It would be funny if it wasn’t so dangerous and expensive.”
Lane was part of an action that saw nine York students arrested in March for blocking access to Faslane Naval base in Scotland, where Trident is based. They are set to return as part of the national student blockade at the end of June, part of the Faslane365 anti-nuclear protest that invites groups to take non-violent ‘direct action’ for one day each over the course of a year. To give York's protest its own unique flavour they wore Viking dress, earning them a fairly sarcastic mention in The Independent.
Second year Rose Edwards, who was arrested at the March protest, said: “There’s this idea that things have to be achieved on a grand scale but they don’t.
“To me it’s much more simple than that. By doing what I do, protesting and possibly being arrested, I’m doing something that my conscience tells me has to be done so it’s very important on a personal level.”
Since Faslane365 began in October there have been 758 arrests: most commonly, and perhaps ironically, for breach of the peace. In March the York group blocked traffic access for half an hour at Faslane’s north gate and well over an hour at the south. They are yet to decide on tactics this time around, but say they have learnt from the experience and hope to be even more effective.
Lane said: “Last time we did what we came to do and we were pretty effective. We’ve learnt and we plan on doing better.”
Faslane itself is a place of contrasts. The rugged coastal landscape could be a picture postcard, but settled amongst the mountains at the end of Gare Loch lies a massive military complex. The base was home to the UK’s first nuclear submarine, HMS Dreadnought, in 1963.
Since then it has grown to a site capable of housing 1700 people, and its workforce of 6500 is set to expand with the arrival of three new attack submarines in 2008. In March the government assured it would retain its nuclear element by voting to extend the Trident system’s life until 2050.
But anti nuclear campaigners have refused to bow before that political approval.
“It would be stupid to give up,” Lane said.
“It would have been a massive surprise if that decision hadn’t been made but they’ve not listened to public opinion.”
“A lot of people who work in the military don’t even agree with it. Most people can see the absolute stupid brutality of Nuclear weapons.”
Edwards adds: “The decision’s been made but we’re still allowed to say we’re not happy with it. The point is we all have the power to say whether we agree with what’s happening or not. We have the right to exercise our opinions so why shouldn’t we?”
The bill for manufacturing the missiles remains unknown, although critics argue it could be anywhere between £20 billion and £76 billion. Whether that’s necessarily bad news for the British economy is another question. The system is designed by Lockheed Martin in the US and then built by the British BAE Systems at Barrow-on-Furness, in Cumbria. Over the 17 years the government argues it would take to renew Trident, tens of thousands jobs would be generated.
Add to this the annual £250 million the Navy estimates its presence plunges into Scottish coffers and there’s a strong economic argument to maintain the UK’s nuclear capability. Indeed, the Royal Navy has referred to Faslane as: “One of the economic powerhouses of Scotland.”
But the Green Party, amongst others, argue that that money should be invested in renewable energy and other initiatives to combat climate change and meet Britain’s commitment to reducing its carbon emissions by 20% by 2010. They say that doing so would also create jobs and benefit the economy.
Peter Sanderson, of the York Green party, said:
“If the government wants to subsidise industry they don’t need to do it by investing in Nuclear weapons as they could be investing in developing green technology.”
“The decision has been made but the point is that the huge amount of money being spent is a monumental waste.”
The CND have also pointed out that £76 billion could be used, amongst other things, to abolish student tuition fees for a decade.
For Edwards though, the moral imperative remains the priority.
“It would be a huge shame if replacement jobs weren’t created. That’s always going to be a big problem because while you have overarching morals you also don’t want people who are just trying to make a living to suffer. But it would be nice if people could make a living and support their family in a way that didn’t involve huge ethical dilemmas.”
Alliteration thrives in this environment. The fleet consists of four nuclear submarines: Victory, Vengeance, Vigilant and Vanguard. Together they form the “Faslane Flotilla”. This rhetorical language is just one weapon in a battle for hearts and minds. All are united in the hope it’s the only battle Trident is ever involved in.
Trident Missile Fact file
