Nuclear Weapons driven through Glasgow.

On the 29th January 2014 a military convoy of 19 vehicles drove through Glasgow on the M74. It was bringing nuclear weapons from the Atomic Weapons Establishment Burghfield, in Berkshire to the nuclear weapons store at RNAD Coulport on Loch Long. The convoy had left AWE Burghfield in the morning on the 28th January and arrived at Coulport at 1.25 am on the 29th January.

The following motion was put down in the Scottish Parliament objecting the nuclear weapons’ convoy:

Motion S4M-08888: Bill Kidd, Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 29/01/2014
Nuclear Weapons Driven Through Glasgow

“That the Parliament notes with grave concern what it believes is the regular transportation of nuclear weapons on roads throughout Scotland; understands that, in the early hours of the morning of 29 January 2014, a 19-vehicle convoy, which was transporting nuclear weapons from the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Berkshire to Coulport on Loch Long, used the M74 to drive through Glasgow; further understands that such convoys do not carry radiation warning symbols and neither the public nor the local authority areas that they pass through are warned about the material being transported; believes that the majority of the people of Glasgow and Scotland remain opposed to the UK Government’s policy of maintaining and upgrading the Trident system, and hopes that public awareness of what it sees as this ongoing and dangerous practice will strengthen the calls to rid Scotland of nuclear weapons once and for all.”

Supported by: Kenneth Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Annabelle Ewing, John Wilson R, Chic Brodie, Patrick Harvie, Joan McAlpine, Adam Ingram, Mike MacKenzie, George Adam, Rob Gibson, Richard Lyle, Gordon MacDonald, John Mason, David Torrance, Gil Paterson, Dennis Robertson, Kevin Stewart, John Finnie, Aileen McLeod, Linda Fabiani, Fiona McLeod, James Dornan, Sandra White, Jean Urquhart, Willie Coffey, Graeme Dey, Colin Beattie, Maureen Watt, Dave Thompson, Nigel Don, Bob Doris, Angus MacDonald, Colin Keir, Stewart Maxwell, Christina McKelvie, Mark McDonald, Clare Adamson, Marco Biagi R

The news of the nuclear weapons convoy also generated the following press:
http://news.stv.tv/west-central/262327-nuclear-convoys-along-m74-pose-unacceptable-risk-says-msp/
https://www.snp.org/media-centre/news/2014/jan/msp-condemns-risk-wmds-driven-through-glasgow
http://www.cumbernauld-news.co.uk/news/local-news/nuclear-safety-fears-for-cumbernauld-and-kilsyth-1-3353998
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/vehicles-laden-toxic-radio-active-material-3374671

Nukewatch Policy

We think that it is very important that Nukewatch continues to monitor the safety of UK nuclear warhead convoys, and that convoy dangers are highlighted to the general public and those along its routes.

But we think it’s important that Nukewatch does not add to the risks associated with these convoys so we do not publish detailed technical information which might conceivably result in harm to a convoy. We advise trusted members of our own network in advance about convoy movements but do not broadcast information about convoy locations when it is on the road using social media or via the internet in ‘real time’, although we may do so later on the same day.