SCOTTISH Secretary Ian Murray has shocked campaigners after pledging to lobby his Government colleagues to get the UK to attend a key anti-nuclear summit.
The Government minister told anti-nuclear weapons campaigners in his Edinburgh South constituency he would lobby for Britain to attend a ban-the-bomb meeting in New York next month.
In an email shared with The National, Murray said that the UK attending a meeting of countries signed up to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) would be a major boost for “global disarmament efforts”.
Responding to Janet Fenton and David Mackenzie, members of the pressure group Secure Scotland, Murray said: “I believe that nuclear disarmament is not only a global public good of the highest order but also an essential step towards ensuring peace and security for all nations.
“I understand your concerns about the UK Government's current stance and the challenges this poses to full accession to the TPNW.
“Nonetheless, I agree that attending the Third Meeting of States Parties (MSP3) as an observer state would be a constructive step forward.
“Not only would this position acknowledge the legitimacy and importance of the TPNW in the broader disarmament dialogue, but it would also affirm the UK's ability to engage with international norms and aspirations constructively.”
The UK is not a signatory to the UN anti-nuclear treaty, which has been ratified by 63 countries, including Austria, Ireland and New Zealand.
Murray said that while the UK Government’s support for nuclear weapons meant it would not be possible for the county to attend as a fully paid-up party to the treaty, the attendance of “several Nato states” at past events showed Britain could play a role as an observer.
He added: “Being an observer at MSP3 could indeed be the beginning of valuable and positive engagement in these processes.”
The Scottish Secretary has spoken in the past about his opposition to Trident, though as a Cabinet minister he is expected to vote with the Government position which is that the UK should keep its weapons of mass destruction.
He added: “Given the commitment outlined in the [International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons] Pledge, I will certainly advocate for the UK's attendance as an observer at MSP3.
“I shall engage with my colleagues in Parliament and will communicate these sentiments to relevant Government officials.
“I hope that such advocacy will prompt a reconsideration of the current approach and encourage the Government to take this significant step towards global disarmament efforts.”
Fenton (above, far right) told The National she was “surprised and delighted” by Murray’s response.
She added: “It is particularly welcome to learn that a Labour Party minister serving Scotland not only understands how the UK could make a valuable contribution to the talks, but is also prepared to act on the views of his Green and SNP colleagues at Holyrood as well as Richard Leonard, Mercedes Villalba and Katy Clark, all Scottish Labour MSPs, who are very active members of the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Nuclear Disarmament, and many of his own constituents.
“Whatever the future for Scotland, we hope that the TPNW will be part of it.”
The UK Government was approached for comment.
