SO the attempt to evict the Faslane Peace Camp has failed. The truly astonishing thing is that there is still a need for its presence.
When Harold Macmillan decided to site Polaris on the Clyde, he did so after a secret Government report had shown Glasgow was the single most vulnerable city to nuclear attack in the entire United Kingdom. Clearly, Scotland's biggest city and major industrial centre was deemed expendable.
Even though that report was kept secret, Scots protested vehemently at the dumping of Polaris in our laps. One of those protesters was George Robertson, yet while he once campaigned for the removal of Polaris he is now content for Trident to remain.
Even the Scottish Labour Party don't want Trident, but their wishes cut no ice with Tony Blair whose over-riding concern is to be re-elected by the voters of Middle England.
In addition, it is not just a matter of us having part of Britain's nuclear ''deterrent'' just down the road. American cruise missiles left some time ago; recently the Government announced that it was dismantling the nuclear bomber force. All that is left are the submarine-launched missiles. The west of Scotland is now England's nuclear arsenal.
Given the impotence of Scottish Labour to influence their own party in government, and the Blairites' preference for spin over principle, it is clear that we will only get these weapons out of Scotland when we have independence and our Parliament can do the will of the Scottish people in every area, not just the matters Westminster grudgingly allows it to tackle.
Dr David Carlile,
38 Littleton Street,
Glasgow.
April 7.
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