CND Press Digest: Friday 14th June 2024

General Election 2024

• Labour Party manifesto has been released which mentions its “unshakable commitment” to NATO, Britain’s nuclear weapons, and nuclear power.

Global Nukes

• The Herald: Union makes direct appeal to deputy FM to end nuclear ban after ‘power cuts’ warning. A union has made a direct appeal to the deputy first minister to lift the ban on nuclear as fears grow over hundreds of jobs being lost and skilled workers leaving Scotland for overseas. According to the Nuclear Industry Association some 315 jobs have already been lost over the five years to 2023 in Scotland.
• Business Crack: Decades of industry experience will bolster connections within Cumbria’s nuclear supply chain and beyond as two new appointments have been made to Britain’s Energy Coast’s Business Cluster’s nuclear sector group.
• Ipswich Star: Sizewell C has applied to Ipswich Borough Council to convert the grounds of Cinram in Ransomes Europark into a bus depot. The application states that they would only use the front forecourt, and not the factory itself for 24 months where they would install a temporary refilling facility and a maintenance building. The buses at this depot will act as a shuttle service between Ipswich and the nuclear station that is nearly a 45-minute drive away in Leiston.

Nuclear Power

• Associated Press: The California Legislature signaled its intent on Thursday to cancel a $400 million loan payment to help finance a longer lifespan for the state’s last nuclear power plant, exposing a rift with Gov. Gavin Newsom who says that the power is critical to safeguarding energy supplies amid a warming climate.

NATO / Europe

• NATO summit, where are Ukraine’s jets?
• Foreign Affairs: NATO’s missing pillar. The alliance needs a more powerful Europe.
• NATO allies from 23 Nations and two Partner Nations, Australia and Japan, participate in the second ever NATO Space Operations Commanders’ Conference at Allied Air Command, June 12-13, 2024.

Middle East & North Africa

• Reuters: Iran installs more centrifuges at Fordow enrichment plant. Iran has rapidly installed extra uranium-enriching centrifuges at its Fordow site and begun setting up others, a UN nuclear watchdog report said in what diplomats described as limited retaliation to a resolution by the watchdog’s board.

AUKUS / Asia-Pacific

• Defence Scoop: Pentagon’s top AUKUS adviser and coordinator steps down.

Best,

Pádraig McCarrick

Press and Communications Officer

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament