Speaking at CND's demonstration on 9 June Roger Spiller, CND vice chair, seemed to reflect a genuine disbelief in the size of the turn out. He continually referred to period for the peace while 150,000 people Trafalgar Square - inree umes une number predicted by CND organisers the previous day. It is not a difficult period for those tens of thousands of activists who are currently discussing campaigning against Inaent, to gel na or cruise, rolle withdrawal of US bases, and to scrap all nuciear weapons. however. hopefully will be difficult for those in leadership who want to change this campaigning orientation CND's ruel allie unilateral nuclear disarmament.
Since EP Thompson came out at the height of the July general election with his attacks on the damentalists' in the Labour dogmatically hold we have elder statespeople such as Bruce Kent and Mike Pentz explaining variously was both albatross' and 'a disaster' peace movement.
After they failed to convince the membership, December's CND conference threw out the 'freeze', many in the leadersnip nave begun to open up discussions inside the 'upper circles', nronosals along the same lines These all share tramework: we need to win over ine so called middle ground, that means searching out proposals that will ap peal to both the SDP/Liberal Alliance and to 'anti-Thatcher Tories'. During the general election this approach was to win not an anti-nuclear parliament, jority. Today it means campaigning on issues acceptable to evervone bar Thatcher and her ilk. Cutback April's CND National opened up a debate around steps to disarmament' and agreed paign for a 'nuclear cutback'. It also decided to establish what is known as Group' to report back 'Forward Planning to the next National Council. James Hinton, organiser of CND's Projects titled 'a vision', the next general election for no first use and for a nuclear freeze.
Paul Nicholl's paper on steps to disarmament urges the movement to be not just against the also for disarmament. This has openea up a aiscussion on what stages oi campaigning the movement, should proceed through to 'aid disarmament negotiations.
an approach originates inOUCI side the Labour Party.
pamphlet No Cruise, No dent, No Nuclear Weapons, describes the proposals 'unilateral multilateral solutions' adopted by the Socialist Howard's paper on 'Nuclear back' also seeks 'unilateralism' to meaning not simply refusing get rid COTI weapons but also refusing to take unilateral steps any wnere In Ila direction. Will doesn't anything concrete that adopt the slogan 'nuclear cutback' which presumably can mean anything to anyone!
Manv in CND are as yet unaware of these discussions.
right wing in CND are still discussing which option they Nonetheless, a number of activists are becoming increasingly these attacks on unilateralism.
The composed both of a wide range of activists elected at the Labour CND 'this difficult movement', piled into for 'funto 'an for the last for common SDP, Council camWorking on these issues ConTerence for unilateral missiles but and warning favour of SDP/Liberals.
role in fighting against The Labour Tri- to thace in the on steps fudge Will Cutreduce Labour CND shut down.
all nuclear cil and then became a major propose ship over the summer. the malor slogans be used to year's national at the way in wnicn ine ireeze Further, the go for.
the 'freeze' position.
alarmed at Executive, in the following AT THE 1983 conference of CND delegates defeated attempts to introduce a policy in favour of campaignleadership attempting to reintroduce it this year. Proposals are now being circulated calling for a 'nuclear cutback' and similar slogans.
AGM and from the CND Regions ruled have unanimously decided to submit the general basis of a paper in defence of CND's unilateralism prepared by Labour CND have also submitted a resolution to CND CND's aims nuclear disarmament this clearly alliances with the It is no accident that Labour CND is taking a lead in this. It was Labour CND who last year played a major the 'freeze' pointed out how this gave room who wanted to water down the two thirds majority at Labour Party conference in Polaris that led to the debacle at the general election. Both the CND right wing and forces in the Labour Party then combined to get explain Days. adopted a the April 1983 CND Coun cam- called paigning priority for the CND leaderIt was one of adopted for last CND demonstration. short However, CND conference, angerec been imposed on the movement, and its adoption just at the point of the arrival of the cruise missiles, threw out term This decision was described in the conference report in January's Sanity way: 'Amia what ference opted for conservatism and out a campaign emphasis against all new nuclear weapons'. The activists Jimmy rejection freeze a campaigning priority was noi clearly one that CND keeps up The mood was one that win pull vigorous campaign to programme unilateral disarmament!' However the discussion on this question isn't dead. John Cox wrote a major article in the February Sanity explaining that CND could still campaign on the freeze, even after CND He attempted in this to He wrote CaD members are role that overwhelmingly opposed to any dilu țion of CND's total rejection of all so.
defence policies based So, for long term objectives, CND is fundamentalist.
term demands No Trident) and do not consider tha many dilution on short demands imply of CND's for short long lern oolecuves.
demands, "pragmatic' John Cox continues this explan on in his pamphlet produced by th plains that the freeze 'proposed enour solely cutback. means those people who don't accept our full programme.
However, SuCH approaches may be dressed up in terms of reaffirming unilateralist programme - Du aim. Or is presented simply as - that is nuclear
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Where you bet
Communist Party in April, War and Peace the Nuclear Edition. He ex-