By IRNA,
London : Scottish anti-war activist and actor Gerard Kelly has accused the British government of being hypocritical over the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in its policy towards Iran.
“It is the height of hypocrisy that we ask Iran to obey the non- proliferation treaty yet our own government blatantly disregards it by commissioning a replacement for Trident,” Kelly said.
“Once again, it’s do as we say, not as we do,” he said in sending a message of support to protesters forming a ‘peace chain’ around Britain’s Trident nuclear submarine base at Faslane, Scotland.
The protest marked the 40th anniversary of nuclear missiles being based there, BBC reported.
Double Oscar winning actress, Emma Thompson referred to her message to the dangers of Britain upgrading its nuclear weapons system in defiance of its commitment to disarm under the NPT.
“The insanity and havoc wrought by war has recently been well demonstrated by the UK government.
“I hope it makes the insanity and potential havoc of nuclear weaponry crystal clear,” Thompson said.
Among members of the Scottish parliament speaking at the protest was Scottish Nationalist Bill Kidd, who criticized the British government for basing the country’s nuclear weapons in Scotland in defiance of public opinion.
“After 40 years of weapons of mass destruction in the midst of perhaps the most populated area of Scotland, they still remain unloved and unwanted by our people and our parliamentarians,” Kidd said.
“Not only has a majority of MSPs rejected Trident but so have a majority of Scottish MPs. Despite this (the UK government in) Westminster still imposes Trident on Scotland. Not only is it immoral as a weapon but it is an immoral use of public money,” he said.
The anniversary marks 40 years since the first Polaris nuclear submarine sailed from Faslane on patrol. Since then, the fleet has been updated to the current Trident fleet, which itself is due to be replaced in future years.
Scottish Green MSP, Robin Harper, said the campaign against nuclear weapons had been a long one but that he was ‘absolutely certain that we will see nuclear disarmament, quite possibly starting right here in Scotland’.