NO US NUKES IN BRITAIN
London CND campaigns against the return of US nuclear weapons to Britain.
RAF Lakenheath is an airbase located only 70 miles from London, with the largest deployment of US Air Force personnel in Britain. Is it highly likely that US nuclear weapons will be stored there. Whether or not they are deployed, the presence of nuclear weapons will endanger the lives of millions.
US nuclear weapons don’t make us safe, they make us a target.
HIstory & Key facts:
US nuclear weapons were stored in Britain between 1954 and 2008, until they were removed following popular protests.
In 2022, the UK has been added to a NATO list of nuclear weapons storage locations. This means that US nuclear weapons are coming back to Britain, most likely at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.
This decision was made without any debate in Parliament and had sparse media attention. This is a very dangerous escalation in the context of the war in Ukraine.
The majority of the British public don’t want US nuclear weapons stationed in Britain:
What do we know?
In 2022, the Federation of American Scientists detected an anomaly in a US Department of Defense document. They noted that the UK had quietly been added to a list of nuclear weapons storage locations being upgraded, making the UK the 6th European NATO member to host US nukes.
The expected location is RAF Lakenheath, a British airbase located just 70 miles from London. We know that billions are being spent at this base to expand nuclear storage facilities, and that nuclear-capable aircrafts are already stationed there.
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Why does this matter?
Nuclear war
The return of US nukes to Britain will increase global tensions and put us on the front line of a NATO/Russia war. In a nuclear conflict, it is probable that Lakenheath would be targeted, followed by strikes on cities across the country.
A single nuclear strike would be catastrophic for the region, and the radioactive impact would spread much further. At Hiroshima, within a radius of half a mile, all that was left of people caught in the open were their shadows burnt into stone. A nuclear war would be catastrophic for all humanity, forms of life, and the entire planet.
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Nuclear accidents
The very presence of nuclear weapons poses a serious threat. At least two major accidents involving nuclear weapons are known to have occurred at RAF Lakenheath. Both were covered up by the US and British governments.
Official US documents declared it was a ‘miracle’ that none of the bombs detonated, and that ‘it is possible that a part of Eastern England would have become a desert’.
What are we doing about it?
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is leading this national campaign through political lobbying, media work, research, collaboration with other organisations and awareness-raising. At London CND, we support these efforts by…
Protesting at RAF Lakenheath
London CND has supported three national demonstrations at RAF Lakenheath so far.
We filled coaches departing from London to the airbase and brought creative and media-grabbing visuals to ensure coverage. Here’s some photographs:
Protesting at the US embassy
We held two demonstrations at the US embassy in Vauxhall, London.
Here’s a short video from the latest:
local awareness-raising
Our local groups also set up regular stalls where they distribute information and engage with the public. With rising international tensions and the success of the film Oppenheimer (2023), people have been increasingly receptive to our message.
Now’s a great time to engage in conversation and say loud and clear:
NO US NUKES IN BRITAIN!
Actions you can take today:
Get involved: sign the call for no US nukes on UK soil
Contact your MP asking them to oppose the stationing of US nuclear weapons in Britain
Download a poster for display on a stall or in your window
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