All in a spin - 83% say "NO" to Trident
A debate in Forest of Dean, where I, Bruce Kent from CND and the local MP Mark Harper – who is also the Tory spokesman on Defence – were the speakers, came down decisively against Trident renewal. A vote at the end of the debate showed 125 people against renewal with only 15 in favour.
The debate was chaired by Ian Mean, the editor of the local newspaper, the Gloucester Citizen and they had done a good job of running articles in the days leading up to the debate so that people were aware it was taking place. CND had also sent down copies of their Alternative White Paper for distribution. None the less, despite its proximity to Gloucester, Forest of Dean is generally a rural constituency.
Such meetings can often be sparsely attended, to add to which, the trains had not recovered from the blockages caused by Thursday’s storms. I have to admit that I was concerned whether the meeting would be a success.
So when I arrived and found the hall packed with at least 150 people, it was the strongest possible indication that people want a debate to take place - and a thorough refutation of the idea that the UK population are somehow bored of politics. They may be bored of spin, and mistrustful of some politicians, but when they have an opportunity to take part in a debate, voice their opinion, they are eager to do so.
Having such an emphatic margin of victory was simply the icing on the cake of a very positive evening.
