Chaired by President of BU鈥檚 Politics Society, Thomas Dence, panellists including former leader of the Green Party Natalie Bennett, Conservative MP Simon Hoare, General Secretary for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) Kate Hudson, and politics student, Daniel Williams, came together to debate the motion of retaining a nuclear defence system.
Opening the debate, Kate Hudson elaborated on her concerns over the Government鈥檚 assessment of the need for the Trident system, suggesting that the system was not able to address a 鈥渃hief security threat鈥� and 鈥渄id nothing to combat the threats鈥� posed by climate change, cyber-crime and pandemics, perhaps even making us 鈥渕ore of a target鈥� due to our nuclear arsenal.
Conservative MP for North Dorset, Simon Hoare MP suggested that while 鈥渘obody [was] suggesting that Trident would be used in the war against terror, the possession of Trident as an ultimate deterrent has helped to keep the peace in Europe for the last forty years鈥�. He went on to argue that nuclear can still 鈥渂e a weapon鈥� in international diplomacy; stating that nations could unilaterally disarm, but there would be a 鈥渞ace of scientists鈥� to develop a weapon to 鈥渉old the world to ransom鈥�.
Natalie Bennett, former leader of the Green Party, suggested that Great Britain鈥檚 nuclear arsenal, contributing 1 per cent of the world鈥檚 total, was 鈥渕ilitarily insignificant鈥� and with the upcoming US presidential election result far from decided, did not want to 鈥渟ee Donald Trump with his finger on the nuclear button.鈥� She also suggested Britain act 鈥渕ultilaterally鈥� with other world states to become the 139th country to sign up to the Open Ended Working Group; a group whose ultimate aim is global disarmament of nuclear weapons.
In proceeding his argument to maintain the nuclear deterrent, Daniel Williams, a BU politics student and Labour party member, argued that 鈥渢he darkest moment in human history was the development of the atomic bomb鈥�, declaring that 鈥渘o one believes nuclear weapons are a good thing鈥� but that abandoning the deterrent 鈥渨ould not lead to global disarmament鈥� because of America鈥檚 intention to maintain its own nuclear weapons. Daniel also drew attention to the debate鈥檚 status as a 鈥渕ixed issue鈥� within the Labour party itself.
In summing up, debate chair and Politics Society President, Thomas Dence, thanked both the audience and panel for their attendance. After the event, he said: 鈥淚t is as important as ever to have a higher profile and engaging panel of guests. High profile speakers attract people who may otherwise not engage with important political issues.The debate was a huge success and hopefully a much needed kick start for this year鈥檚 politics society programme."
鈥淚 led a follow up session with a few level four politics students the next day and they felt engaged and revitalised on an issue that had previously been off of their political radar. Any event that prompts this level of political talk can only have been a success.鈥�
