Blair ministers back initiative for world free of nuclear arms

Two senior members of former prime minister Tony Blair's government have added their voices to a growing campaign for global nuclear disarmament. Former foreign secretary Margaret Beckett and former defence and home secretary John Reid were also joined by former leaders of the Conservatives Michael Howard and former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell in backing a renewed initiative. In a parliamentary Early Day Motion, they welcomed the US Nuclear Security Project and its recent endorsement by four British statesmen, appealing to the world's nuclear powers to reduce their arsenals in the hope of dissuading others pursuing nuclear ambitions. They called on the UK Government to "stimulate and support further developments which enhance the prospects for non-proliferation and a fresh drive for nuclear disarmament and... [read full story]