Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham, sent this message to the London CND conference:

I would like to send best wishes and solidarity to London CND for a successful Annual Meeting today. I am sorry I can’t be with you in person, due to local commitments to celebrate International Women’s Day. In that vein, can I particularly send greetings to all the women with you today? We know that women often bear the brunt of the consequences of conflict and war, and are often at the forefront of opposing it.

The theme of your discussion today on ethical foreign policy and the role of Britain in the world is more important than ever. The issue of the arms trade is central to this and I have been proud to work with CND and London CND on this issue. In particular we had a great partnership in opposition the DSEI Arms event last year, where the Council hosted an inspiring Alternative Peace Exhibition. I also joined CND’s anti-nuclear events and visited the peace camp. As a campaigning council we made clear that that such an event should never come back to our Borough ever again.

Those of us leading in local government must maintain London’s historically strong commitment to peace. This is now combined with tackling climate change, developing the Green New Deal and alternatives to the arms industries through a just transition. This must remain central to our future policy agenda. We need to continue to campaign and to pressure national government over its actions, such as its part in the catastrophe which continues daily to devastate the lives of the people of Yemen.

No one should be making profits from war, and I want to commend your efforts in opposition to nuclear weapons, and to the waste of Trident in particular. We should be directing our spending priorities to our NHS, to address the crisis in housing and in adult social care, for our young people’s education and jobs, and to invest in an inclusive green economy. In Newham we have suffered from ten years of Tory austerity, with huge cuts from central government, and so we know the impact of government spending choices.

And so I am pleased to continue to support your work in opposing the waste and threat of weapons of mass destruction, and look forward to working together in the coming year.

Rokhsana.