News from National CND
Posted: 27th November 2025
In this email:
- Labour’s budget uses tax hikes to pay for military expansion
- CND conference addresses the alternatives to Britain’s war drive
- Saturday’s march for Palestine – new assembly point
- Support CND with these Christmas gift ideas
Wednesday’s budget made clear that Labour was committed to spending billions of pounds on new nuclear projects and military spending hikes. Chancellor Rachel Reeves spoke of cutting ‘red tape’ to railroad through new nuclear projects across the country, code for bypassing local protest to having toxic nuclear power in their communities.
A hike in income tax means that people are paying for the government’s war drive and nuclear expansion.
As the government’s Public Accounts Committee has warned, the costs forecast for the F-35 programme are “unrealistic”, essentially pouring money for our public services into the black hole of arms company profits. Towns like Barrow and Devonport, keys centres of Britain’s nuclear weapons industries for decade, are held up as models for industrial renewal, despite these communities remaining some of most deprived in the country. Rather than investing in much needed infrastructure, the government used the budget to continue with its modernisation of its nuclear-armed submarines, whose upgrades the Infrastructure and Projects Authority deem as “unachievable.”
CND has called out the budget – arguing Labour is funding its war drives on the backs of working people.
CND’s conference looked at the alternatives
CND’s lively day of debate and activism on Saturday brought together campaigners from across the country to discuss the alternatives to nuclear expansion and war, and how we build the movement for peace. We’d like to thank everyone who participated, especially all those new to CND’s campaigning: we are so pleased you are getting involved!
You can watch some of the speeches from the day on CND’s YouTube channel, including: Jeremy Corbyn MP, CND Vice-President; Ben Jamal from Palestine Solidarity Campaign; Sophie Bolt, CND General Secretary; Sabby Dhalu from Stand Up To Racism; Denis Fernando from Friends of the Earth; Micaela Tracey-Ramos, Unison NEC; and Ludo Da Brabander from Belgian peace organisation, Vrede. More will be available next week!
A live stream from the main conference hall is also available, part 1 here and part 2 here. You can read some coverage from the day here.
Next Steps for the campaign against Britain’s nuclear expansion
The conference was also important in building support for our upcoming national demonstration at RAF Marham where the nuclear jets will be stationed. Please put Saturday, 28 February 2026 in your diary. You can book yourself a seat on the coach from London now! Click here.
New assembly point for Saturday’s march for Palestine
Saturday’s demonstration takes place on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Amid nuclear-armed Israel’s frequent and escalating assault on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, it is crucial that we have as many people on the streets as possible. We need to keep up the pressure on the British government to finally hold Israel to account for its egregious violations of international law.
Please note that the assembly point for the demonstration has been changed since the initial announcement, details below.
- Saturday, 29 November
- Assemble 12 noon, Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly) with rally taking place on Whitehall, details of route and accessible route can be found here
WATCH: Executive Director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign Ben Jamal addressing CND’s conference on Israel’s continued violations against Palestinians since the ceasefire.
