In the last few days before the United Nations states that are members of the Treaty On The Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons meet for the first time in Vienna, the Scottish Greens have made very clear their support for the Treaty and Scotland’s early accession.

This follows the announcement that the SNP Convenor of the Scottish Parliament Nuclear Disarmament Cross Party Group, Bill Kidd MSP, will attend the Vienna Meeting, and the specially convened meeting of global Parliamentarians who are working for the adoption of the TPNW throughout the world. Scottish Greens, along with counterparts in European Greens have supported this position since the TPNW opened for signature in 2017. All Green MSPs, along with their SNP colleagues in the parliament have signed the Parliamentarians pledge to support the TPNW.

Accession to the TPNW for an independent Scotland would mean an absolute prohibition on any nuclear weapons being held or used here as well as prohibiting their transit through Scotland or their deployment by any other state in Scottish territory.

Janet Fenton ICAN Scottish Liaison said: “At a time when the Scottish Parliamentarians are rightly focussed on the domestic situation, it is very gratifying  to see that the Scottish parliamentarians across the house are still able to  recognise  the significance of the events taking place in Vienna and their critical implications for a world where nuclear escalation would be catastrophic for people and planet alike.”

Ms Burgess motion proposes:

That the Parliament notes the first meeting of the parties on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is to take place in Vienna on the 21st – 23rd June; understands this is the first annual meeting of the 62 countries who have signed up to the treaty since it came into force on the 21st January 2021; recognises that the treaty prohibits the development, testing, production, stockpiling, transfer, use and threat of nuclear weapons, and is a key step in achieving a nuclear weapon free world;  affirms this parliament’s view that nuclear weapons are morally wrong, and that Scotland should be a nuclear free country; condemns the UK Government’s failure to sign the treaty and the ongoing commitment to a UK based nuclear deterrent; and commits an independent Scotland to signing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the earliest available opportunity.