A Scottish MP has condemned the transportation of nuclear weapons through the streets of Scotland as an “unacceptable risk to public safety” and will today propose legislation to immediately halt the unsafe practice.
Owen Thompson, the SNP MP for Midlothian, will raise the issue in a 10-minute rule motion in the Commons; a parliamentary device used to raise an issue of concern but which rarely leads to legislation being enacted.
In it, he will call for cross-party support against the use of the nuclear convoys, which travel between Berkshire, where the weapons are made and serviced, and Coulport in Argyll, where they are stored and loaded.
The MP pointed out that, according to information from campaign group Nukewatch, a convoy carrying nuclear weapons has travelled across Midlothian on several occasions, parking close to schools and sparking local outrage.
“The idea that weapons of mass destruction are being transported through the streets of Midlothian and all across the UK is absolutely chilling,” declared Mr Thompson.
“I’m calling on MPs of all parties to join me in condemning the unacceptable risk to public safety,” he said, noting how the impact of any safety breach simply did not bear thinking about.
“The Ministry of Defence must now detail exactly what safety precautions they take while these nuclear weapons travel through the UK and put an immediate stop to the convoys.”
He went on: “The Scottish people have made clear their opposition to weapons of mass destruction being based on the Clyde and the transport of nuclear weapons from one end of the country to the other should not be based on an argument of convenience at the expense of safety.”
Mr Thompson said the transportation policy as it stood lacked transparency, was counterproductive against protecting people from terrorist attacks and showed a blatant disregard and lack of judgement to the communities through which they passed.
He added: “Of course, the fact is that the only way to fully guarantee public safety is to remove these immoral, strategically useless weapons once and for all and the SNP will continue to fight every step of the way against spending £167 billion on weapons of mass destruction.”
In addition to the 10 minute rule motion, the MP has also lodged an early day motion, raising the same concerns and calling for an end to nuclear weapons convoys.
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