.....or you could just tell me to f**k off you tree hugging lefty, which is exactly what I expect Edward Timpson will do when he sends me back another one of his letters saying in a polite round about way that he loves war, nuclear weapons and killing foxes and there's no way he will rebel against his Tory masters.
Dear Edward Timpson MP,
I am writing to ask how you plan to vote when the Government brings forward plans for replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system on 18 July.
The Government has reiterated its commitment to spending at least £205bn on a new generation of nuclear weapons despite public services facing continued austerity.
I believe that nuclear weapons are immoral and illegal under international law as they kill indiscriminately, they are strategically irrelevant in the face of the actual threats we face today. Each trident submarine can carry up to 40 nuclear warheads on board, each of these warheads is eight times more powerful than the atomic bomb which was dropped on Hiroshima! These weapons have no legitimate purpose: their use would be illegal under almost every conceivable circumstance, as huge numbers of civilian casualties would be unavoidable. That is why the International Court of Justice ruled in 1996 the threat or use of nuclear weapons would be contrary to the rules of international law.
Rather than a deterrent, Britain's nuclear weapons make us appear to be a threat and thus encourage proliferation across other nations. As a weapon system we can never use trident is just symbolic. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, one of the biggest supporters of replacing Trident in 2007, has admitted that the only purpose of maintaining the nuclear weapons system is to give Britain status.
Concerns have also been raised about the security of Trident itself in the future, especially with the ongoing development of underwater drones and sophisticated cyber-warfare which could disable the submarines' systems.
The opposition to Trident is growing across society. A number of leading military experts have denounced nuclear weapons and there is widespread opposition amongst faith communities and trade unions and from across the political spectrum. Trident was a major point of debate in the 2015 General Election, with the spectacular gains of the Scottish National Party (SNP) a stark indicator of opposition to nuclear weapons in Scotland. The Scottish people are joined by millions all over the UK who want to see an end to Trident.
The government is in favour of replacing Trident at a cost of at least £205 billion. This money would be enough to improve the NHS by building 120 state of the art hospitals and employing 150,000 new nurses, build 3 million affordable homes, install solar panels in every home in the UK or pay the tuition fees for 8 million students.
I would be very grateful if you would let me know how you would vote on Monday 18 July, and I urge you please to consider the points I have made and vote according to your own personal judgement, which ever way that may fall, rather than follow Conservative Party recommendation.
Yours Sincerley,
John Brand
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