Writing to Labour MPs about the NPT

The NPT Review Conference is not far off. It might be an idea to write to Labour MPs about this – relevant to the May election in Scotland. Below is what I wrote to mine – as the opening gambit in what hopefully would be a reasonable interchange.

David Mackenzie

You will be aware that the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) will take place from 27 April to 22 May 2026. You will also be aware that the last two review conferences (in 2015 and 2022, the latter postponed from 2020 due to the Covid pandemic) failed to reach an agreed outcome. The threat of the proliferation of nuclear weapons is currently on the increase, with politicians from Japan, South Korea, Germany and Scandinavia asking whether they need to acquire a nuclear arsenal due to growing doubt about the reality of the US nuclear “umbrella”.

Does the UK government still consider the NPT to be the “cornerstone” of nuclear disarmament?

If it does what specific, concrete and measurable steps will it take to fulfil its obligation under Article V1 of the treaty to “pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.”?