Welsh Peer compares impact of Trident submarine base to Auschwitz
A senior Plaid Cymru peer has compared the effects of a Trident submarine base to a Nazi death camp.
Lord Wigley was commenting on reports – flatly denied by the Government – that the nuclear weapons system could be relocated from Scotland to Wales.
Speaking the day after the world marked 70 years since the end of the Holocaust, the peer made clear that Plaid would be “tremendously opposed” to shifting the base from Faslane naval base to Pembrokeshire.
Asked whether the move would have some positive benefits, such as bringing jobs to the area, Lord Wigley – a former leader of the party – replied: “Look, this week we have been remembering what happened in Germany before the war, no doubt there were many jobs provided in Auschwitz and places like that but that didn’t justify their existence and neither does nuclear weapons justify having them in Pembrokeshire.”
Challenged as to why he was comparing a Trident base to the notorious death camp, the politician replied: “The number of people that will be killed by Trident will be infinitely more.
“The point I’m making is that you have to look at what a job entails, not just the fact that there is a job located in any particular area and, in this instance, we do not believe that we should have nuclear weapons at all.
“We believe that Trident shouldn’t be renewed and we most certainly don’t want that renewal to happen in Pembrokeshire or anywhere in Wales or, to be fair, anywhere in Britain.”
Pressed on whether he was suggesting there was a “moral comparison” between working on a Trident base and working at a Nazi death camp, Lord Wigley said: “No, the point I was making was this, that you have to consider the nature of the work and not just that a job exists.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
