Government and Military

Note: This was sent on behalf of TP to the Foreign and Defence Ministers in February 2007. It followed an email exchange which is documented here

In December last year we received a copy of CM 6994 together with a covering letter from Hugh Powell of the F&CO. Since we do not normally get courtesy copies of relevant government documentation the sending of the letter carried the obvious implication that a consultation was being launched. Subsequent e-mail correspondence with the office of the Security Policy Group of the F&CO made it clear that no consultation was intended, and that the criteria for public consultation outlined in the Cabinet Office’s Code of Practice would not be applied.

We are distressed at the decision of the government not to have a full public consultation on a decision of such vital importance. Fundamental issues such as the rule of international law, public ethics, the reputation of our country worldwide, and our very identity as social and moral beings, are involved.

We are therefore asking that the decision not to consult be reversed, as a matter of urgency, that sufficient time is given for the process, and that the process is resourced with a complete openness about what plans and preparations are already underway. In our view we cannot as a country take the high moral ground in terms of open and accountable governance in other countries unless we here apply these principles with rigour to this issue.

Trident Ploughshares

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