Labour's atomic aficionados are ruining chances of a greener more secure UK future

Letter to Morning Star:

I strongly agree with the  main messages of Labour front  bench shadow ministers  Rebecca Long-Bailey (energy) and  Fabian Hamilton  ( peace and disarmament) in the respective Star articles ( 6 August)  “Labour plans to invest in Green technologies” and  “The anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing should encourage the government to sign the UN Nuclear Ban treaty.”( https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/article/anniversary-hiroshima-bombing-should-encourage-government-sign-un-nuclear-ban-treaty)

But both positive aspirations are severely hamstrung because Labour also strongly supports both nuclear power and nuclear weapons, which completely undermines achieving as sustainable future economy and safer planet. But Rebecca does mention this inexplicable support for pouring billions  into publicly subsidising new nuclear,           ( “Labour pledges to ‘Build it in Britain’ and create an energy system that delivers for people, businesses and our environment; supporting manufacturing and high-skill energy jobs in Britain https://labour.org.uk/press/bring-energy-jobs-contracts-back-britain/);  and Fabian does not mention Trident – the giant atomic bull in the peaceful china shop - at all.

I also find it deeply sad that the key reason the Labour  Party  has this  catastrophic contradiction in its police is the determination of certain trades unions, led by Unite, to back both new nuclear power stations and  replacement for Trident nuclear WMDs, ata cost of hundreds of billions of  public money that could be sensibly spent on greener technologies in manufacturing  and on public services like new public housing, the NHS and  education

A few days  before Rebecca issued he green technology  pledge, on 30 July, her energy team colleague, Bill Esterson, the Shadow Small Business Minister, published a nonsensical statement asserting “Labour has been consistent in its support for  Moorside [the new nuclear power station at Sellafield]and has called on the Government to take a public stake to ensure that this vital power station is finally built; guaranteeing the creation of thousands of highly-skilled and well-paid jobs that communities in Cumbria need and deserve.

 “Labour supports new nuclear as part of the UK’s energy mix to keep the lights on and tackle climate change.” ( https://labour.org.uk/press/bill-esterson-comments-planned-moorside-nuclear-power-station/

Moreover,  a month earlier, Fabian  was present at the launch in Parliament of a very important new report  on how alternative secure jobs can  be created in the long term for the workforce currently dependent on building nuclear w nuclear WMD systems like Trident(“Halting renewal of Trident  ‘could create more jobs,’” Star, 28 June).

You correctly report him as saying ”it is not Labour’s policy to get rid of Trident.”

Labour’s leadership is going to have to make some important policy and investment choices: they cannot back both green  energy technologies and  new nuclear power; they cannot both pledge to sign the treaty banning nuclear weapons and support  renewing Trident at an astronomical  cost of what CND’s Kate Hudson correctly  reports will be at least £205 billion. (“A day to recommit to a world without nuclear weapons,” 6 August ; https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/article/day-recommit-world-without-nuclear-weapons)