Across the pond

In the space of just two minutes yesterday Baroness Shirley Williams explained just why Liberal Democrats have the best nuclear policy, not only to protect Britain but to play a effective part in international negotiations to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and to destroy more of the existing stockpile of nuclear weapons, which are more than enough to destroy the planet.

We have the biggest chance for years to work towards nuclear disarmament. That’s because of President Obama’s work since he came to power. And because the Russian Presiident is also working towards the same end. The Salt negotiations on nuclear proliferation have now agreed a 30 per cent reduction in the nuclear armoury. We now have the opportunity of a real reduction of the nuclear threat, real chance to lift the nuclear cloud overhanging us.

Williams went on to explain why the Lib Dem policy of not rushing to commission a replacement for Trident will have precisely the opposite effect to the scare stories, put around by both David Cameron and Gordon Brown and amplified by the Tory Press.

If we ordered a Trident  replacement right now other countries will ask, why can’t we have nuclear weapons as well?

And the effect of that, according to Williams, would be undo all the patient negotiations, just at the time we are ‘on the edge of a possible breakthrough.

Williams then went on to demolish the scare letter to The Times by some retired intelligence and armed service chiefs. The signatories of the letter included those who went along with the belief that Sadaam Hussain had weapons of mass destruction, which was the justifiation for George W Bush’s descision to start the Iraq War before the inspectors had finished their work in Iraq. At the time Bush and Blair went to war:

The inspection was 90 per ccent complete and no weapons of mass destruction had been found.

Williams spoke with calm conviction. She has been involved in these talks in the US and in Britain for several years. And of course she has had since June, 2007 the formal role in Gordon Brown’s government of advisor on nuclear proliferation.

In the last two weeks Brown has ignored the advice of his own advisor, just as Blair and Bush before him ignored the evidence of the inspectors in Iraq.  His Conservative opponent, in contrast, just has the wrong advisors, includiing the signatories of that letter to The Times.

Williams made her speech from an armchair in the not very big sitting room in Sherborne of  the West Dorset Lib Dem candidate to an audience of less than a dozen. Cup of tea in hand. But there was nothing cosy about her speech.

What a pity she was not saying the same thing to 9 million on national television.

Shirley Williams came to Dorset yesterday at a day’s notice to help the local candidate  Sue Farrell, who has a fighting  chance of over-turning the 2,500 of  David Cameron’s friend, Oliver Letwin, the author of the Conservative manifesto.

From  her armchair she also gave a ten minute summary of Lib Dem policies. Which will be the subject of my next blog.