SNP Government Pursue End to Nuclear Weapons

Today saw a quite amazing event take place in Glasgow. For the first time in our country's history, we have had a government sponsored summit on nuclear disarmament.

This simply would not have been possible without the election of an SNP government. It is quite unthinkable to envisage at any stage a UK government of either Labour or Tory hue sponsor such an event such is their addiction to the nuclear weapons game.

Some will argue that this falls outwith the constitutional competence of the SNP government. You may argue that this is the case under the terms of the Scotland Act, although clearly in relation to planning, transport and environment one might argue that there is a degree of competence.

Whatever the case may be, I have to say that I am not bothered. Of course the unionists want us to confine Scotland to its own wee devolved kailyard on this and every other subject. Their small minds cannot comprehend Scotland's democratically elected government expressing a view that falls outwith this scope.

However, it can't come as that much of a surprise that the SNP is determined to act on this area. We have a long standing opposition to nuclear weapons, and naturally we don't see Scottish government as having to be boxed in by the Scotland Act.

However, this has not been the only criticism levelled against the SNP in relation to this issue.

David Cairns MP, a Scottish Office minister (my, he must be busy!) came out with the downright bizarre assertion that the SNP was pursuing a "loony left" policy in relation to nuclear disarmament.

Well, maybe he genuinely believes so. However, then many ordinary people will be surprised to learn that they belong to the loony left such is the breadth of opposition to nuclear weapons in this country. Indeed, I understand that it is actually somewhere within the deep darkest recesses of Labour Party policy to oppose nuclear proliferation. However, I suppose Mr Cairns gets to square that seeming circle by the fact that the Labour government is ignoring that policy of their own party and is intent on renewing the Trident nuclear weapons scheme.

Indeed, not only does this ignore Labour Party policy, but goes against the internationally agreed Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which the United Kingdom is a signatory.

This brings me onto another area of attack on the SNP, expressed by Eric Joyce MP on Newsnight this evening.

Alex Salmond has written to all signatory states of this Treaty asking for Scotland to be given observer status at the next discussions surrounding this treaty. Apparently for Mr Joyce this amounts to Alex Salmond "cavorting with despots and dictators".

Let me say that there are a number of international leaders in the world who perhaps do fall into this category and are less than savoury characters. However, Alex Salmond has quite correctly written to each and every signatory of the Treaty. So it would just be as easy to characterise this as cavorting with democrats and statesmen given the number of liberal democracies that are included on the list. Of course that wouldn't make for the snide soundbite that Mr Joyce and the Labour Party are looking for.

The fact of the matter is that Alex Salmond and the SNP government are pursuing, by combination of today's summit and writing to the signatories of the non-proliferation treaty, the stated objective of the Scottish government, and something widely supported by the Scottish people; the removal of nuclear weapons from our country.