'We need to do away with them': Leeds City Council backs nuclear disarmament motion

A motion by one of the city's Green Party representatives, David Blackburn, called for the UK to abandon to plans upgrade its current arsenal of weapons and to encourage international co-operation over the issue.

The Labour-run authority has been a long-term backer of nuclear disarmament, alongside other councils across the country.

The ruling party claims their commitment to the agenda has produced "many positives".

The local Conservative group voted against the motion at a full council meeting on Wednesday, after arguing that Trident is an effective deterrent and peacekeeper. Labour support saw the proposals passed.

Presenting his motion, Coun Blackburn told the meeting he was frustrated by political division over the issue.

He said: "It's about reducing weapons and hoping to work towards a situation where one day we can do away with them, like we've done away with landmines in most of the world.

"Nothing in this is unilateral. It's about doing it multi-laterally, together.

"Across Europe and the United States this isn't seen as a left versus right issue. There's support for it across the board because we want to see a safer world."

Recalling his memories of the Cuban Missile Crisis of the early 1960s, Coun Blackburn remembered coming home from school one day and "wondering whether we'd be there the next day".

He added: "It was so close. The only way we can stop that happening is by reducing and getting rid of nuclear weapons."

But Conservative councillors questioned the value of having the debate at council-level, with one saying no resident had asked him for his views on nuclear weapons in 10 years.

Fellow Tory member Sam Firth added: "I'm not sure this is something we need to be discussing in the middle of a pandemic.

"I believe the majority of our residents would say, 'Yes, we agree with that sentiment to reduce nuclear weapons', but they'd shy away from giving up our nuclear weapons entirely.

"That would be the wrong move because of the simple fact that it's a deterrent."

Local Democracy Reporting Service