YORKSHIRE peace campaigners will tomorrow join others blockading the government’s Atomic Weapons Establishment in Burghfield in Berkshire, writes Peter Lazenby.
The month-long blockade began on Monday in protest against Burghfield’s involvement in creating nuclear warheads, and preparing for the replacement of the Trident missile programme at an estimated cost of £200 billion.
The new warhead factory at AWE Burghfield will cost the taxpayer almost £2 billion. Parliament has yet to vote on replacing Trident.
Yorkshire Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament practised using the tubes and locks they will use to chain themselves together at Burghfield tomorrow.
Former Labour Euro-MP for Leeds Michael McGowan will also join the protest.
He said: “At a time when people in our city are depending on foodbanks, it is just abhorrent that we should consider spending such astronomical sums on a weapon that we could never use.
“Nuclear weapons are not just immoral but totally outdated and it’s time that we got in line with most countries in the world and disarmed.”