CND condemns ‘outrageous railroading’ of US-UK nuclear treaty renewal through Parliament

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament condemns the government’s outrageous railroading through Parliament, this week, of the renewal of the US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement, the secretive treaty that underpins the nuclear ‘special relationship’ between London and Washington.

In force since 1958, the MDA allows for the transfer of key technologies, information, and nuclear materials to and from the US. Since its inception, the treaty has been amendable every ten years, also requiring parliamentary agreement on its extension. But the government intends to make this treaty permanent by removing the clause that requires the treaty to be extended, and enables debate and amendment, including rejection.

In an open and democratic society, a major change like this should be given due consideration and debate in Parliament. However, the government has disgracefully obstructed this by announcing its planned changes to the MDA just before Parliament’s summer recess – guaranteeing six weeks of inaction.

Upon their return, MPs spent much of September and October engaged with party conferences. This has shamefully left little time for Parliament to debate the proposed changes before the deadline of 23 October.

CND General Secretary Kate Hudson said:

“Thousands of CND supporters have contacted their MPs to raise the MDA as an issue for debate in Parliament before the 23 October deadline. Despite this outpouring of public concern, the limited time MPs have spent in Parliament since the election has left very little space for the open discussion this significant but little-known treaty deserves.

The railroading of the MDA by the government is typical of the policy that successive governments have been pursuing when it comes to Britain’s military policies and its possession of nuclear weapons. This ‘special relationship’ tethers British military and foreign policy to Washington – and makes redundant the claim that Britain has an independent nuclear weapons system. Without US support, Britain would be unable to sustain its nuclear arsenal. Efforts to scrutinise this relationship are regularly deflected by the government under the guise of national security.”

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