A new report sets out how Trident jobs could be protected if Britain’s nuclear weapons system is scrapped.
The Nuclear Education Trust report examines the lessons from initiatives in Germany, Estonia, Italy, South Africa, the United States, and the UK.
Its authors hope the lessons will inform policy makers working on industrial strategy and defence planning here in Britain.
Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said:
“This is a very important new report, demonstrating from real world examples how defence cuts, such as scrapping Trident, do not have to mean the loss of high skill employment. Far from it in fact, if there is the political will to fully engage with defence diversification, far more high skilled jobs can be created in the engineering sector.
“This is a process all governments need to engage with. Defence planning should, first and foremost, be about security. It should not be about about spending billions on obsolete and irrelevant weapons systems like Trident in the name of jobs. The report shows this is a false dilemma used to justify spending on unpopular projects.”
Shadow minister for peace and disarmament Fabian Hamilton MP commented on the report findings:
“A defence diversification strategy would go hand in hand with Labour’s plan to invest in our economy. We do not lack the talent, we simply lack the funding. There is no denying that Trident is a major employer in some parts of the country, so proper funding must be made available so those in high-skilled work, stay in high-skilled work.
He went on to say “while it is not yet Labour Party policy to scrap Trident, I am committed, not only to transitioning away from nuclear weapons, but to protecting jobs at the same time. High-skilled jobs are good for our economy and, if we decide to transition away from Trident, defence diversification is the only way to ensure that the vital skills used in the development of Britain’s nuclear weapons are not lost.”
- Nuclear Education Trust report
Defence Diversification: International learning for Trident jobs
Download report