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UK Election Manifestos, Non-Proliferation and International
Security Excerpts, April 2005
Britain forward not back
The Labour Party Manifesto 2005
Chapter 7
International policy: A stronger country in a secure,
sustainable and just world
Forward to international leadership, not back to isolation and
powerlessness
Globalisation means that events elsewhere have a direct impact
at home. So we will pursue British interests by working with our
allies to make the world a safer, fairer place.This means reforming
Europe. It means fighting terrorism and stopping the spread of
weapons of mass destruction. It means modernising our armed forces.
And it means using our leading role in the G8, EU, the Commonwealth
and UN to promote global action on climate change and poverty.
The new Labour case Domestic interests and international action
are entwined more than ever before. Action on drugs, terrorism,
people trafficking, AIDS, climate change, poverty, migration and
trade all require us to work with other countries and through
international organisations. The best defence of our security at
home is the spread of liberty and justice overseas. In a third term
we will secure Britain's place in the EU and at the heart of
international decision-making.We will always uphold the rule of
international law...
Helping make you more secure
We have worked closely with the US and other nations to combat
the threat of terrorism in Afghanistan and in Iraq. The threat of
the proliferation of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons - and
their use by rogue states or terrorist groups - is a pressing issue
for the world today. We have worked with the US to ensure that
Libya has given up its WMD, and we will continue with France and
Germany to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons. In
North Korea we will support the multilateral approach of the Six
Parties talks. We will continue to strongly support the peace
process between India and Pakistan, and back moves to resolve the
long-running dispute over Kashmir.And we will work to put an end to
the international network of trade in weapons of mass destruction.
Labour has already introduced a strict regime to control the export
of conventional weapons, and we led moves for EU-wide measures. We
will work actively to secure an international treaty on the arms
trade.
Promoting human rights, peace and democracy
We need to be tough on terrorism and its causes. The threat of
terrorism and the danger to British citizens is proven, not just by
September 11th but by repeated attacks in Europe and around the
world. So we cannot sit back and hope that we will be unaffected.
It is right that we do everything in our power to disrupt terrorist
networks, and to challenge the conditions that help terrorism to
breed.
The UN Charter proclaims the universal principles of human
rights and democracy. In an uncertain world they are not only right
in principle, they are important guarantees of our national
security and prosperity too.
There have been major strides forward in recent years: in
Indonesia, Afghanistan and many parts of Africa and Latin America,
democracy is being extended.
We mourn the loss of life of innocent civilians and coalition
forces in the war in Iraq and the subsequent terrorism. But the
butchery of Saddam is over and across Iraq, eight million people
risked their lives to vote earlier this year.Many people disagreed
with the action we took in Iraq.We respect and understand their
views. But we should all now unite to support the fledgling
democracy in Iraq. British troops should remain in Iraq under a
United Nations mandate as long as the democratically elected
government there wants them.They will continue to train Iraqi
security forces to take responsibility for their own future.
international action are entwined more than ever before.
We welcome the wider process of democratic reform across the
Middle East, and we will work with our allies to encourage and
promote economic and political change.
We strongly support the peace process between Israel and
Palestine. Resolution of the conflict is crucial to peace in the
region and the wider world.The conference held in London in March
2005 has started the process of helping a democratic government in
Palestine build security and prosperity.We will work tirelessly to
bring about a peace settlement in which a viable and independent
state of Palestine lives alongside a safe and secure Israel.
Supporting our armed forces
Britain's armed forces are among the best in the world.They are
able to play a key role in advancing our interests and values.We
want to keep it that way.
We are immensely proud of the bravery, skill and dedication our
armed forces have demonstrated in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone,
the Balkans and elsewhere across the world.They are a force for
good.We will never commit forces to battle unless it is essential;
but when they are committed they will have the investment,
strategy, training and preparation they need.That is one reason we
have given the armed forces the biggest sustained increase in
funding since the end of the Cold War. But we also know that modern
demands on our armed forces are changing.That is why reform and
modernisation are essential. A reduction in the number of infantry
battalions, made possible because of the improved security
situation in Northern Ireland, has allowed extra resources for the
vital support services such as signals, engineers, intelligence and
logistics units - the parts of the army most under pressure. This
is essential to allow our infantry soldiers to be fully supported
when they go into action on our behalf. We will continue with the
investment and reform that make our fighting forces the most
flexible and effective in the world.
We are also committed to retaining the independent nuclear
deterrent and we will continue to work, both bilaterally and
through the UN, to urge states not yet party to non-proliferation
treaties, notably the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to
join...
Reforming the United Nations
The UN is crucial to our efforts to build a more secure and more
prosperous world.We support the reform of the Security Council so
it becomes more representative and has a stronger focus on conflict
prevention. We support the recommendation of the
Secretary-General's High-level Panel for a Peace-building
Commission to assist countries emerging from conflict and to
develop mechanisms to enhance conflict prevention.We will press for
more radical reform of the UN humanitarian system, so it is better
equipped to saves lives.We will also press for reform of the World
Bank and IMF to improve transparency, give more say to developing
countries and, with the EU better focus their efforts on the
poorest countries, particularly in Africa...
The choice for 2010
In 1997 the Tories had left Britain isolated in Europe, overseas
aid had declined and we lacked any coherent vision of our place in
the world.With Labour, a strong Britain will force international
terrorism into retreat and help spread democracy and freedom around
the world.We will be leaders in a reformed Europe, and, with
others, make significant progress towards raising a billion people
out of extreme poverty.We will fight for a new global agreement on
climate change, an arms trade treaty, and a trade deal that makes
trade work for the many, not just the few. Our armed forces will
continue to be the best in the world.The alternative is to go back
to the Tories with their record of cuts in aid and defence and
their policies of tearing up the Social Chapter, and marginalising
Britain in Europe and the world.
Source: The Labour Party,
http://www.labour.org.uk/fileadmin/manifesto_13042005_a3/pdf/manifesto.pdf
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Are you thinking what we're
thinking?
It's time for Action
Conservative Election Manifesto 2005
...
Obviously the world is more dangerous and
we've got to keep up our guard
Defending our Freedoms
...
A Conservative Government will strengthen our Armed
Forces within NATO by spending £2.7 billion more than Labour
on the front line by 2007-08.
Those serving in our Armed Forces are vitally
important to us, so we must take care of the people most important
to them. A Conservative Government will support service families.
They deserve decent homes, good schools for their children, and the
chance to spend as much time as possible with their families.
We will make the Army stronger. A Conservative
Government will preserve the regiments Labour would abolish and
improve the supply and procurement of weaponry.
"We should support our Armed Forces and our
foreign policy should serve the British national interest"
We will save warships Mr Blair would scrap. A Conservative
Government will support European co-operation on defence but we
strongly believe that such co-operation should take place within
the framework of NATO.
If a Conservative Government ever has to take the country to
war, we will tell the British people why. Mr Blair misrepresented
intelligence to make the case for war in Iraq, and failed to plan
for the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's downfall. It is nevertheless
the case that a democratic Iraq would be a powerful beacon of hope
in a troubled part of the world. So we believe that Britain must
remain committed to rebuilding Iraq and allowing democracy to take
hold. And a Conservative Government will work to achieve peace in
the Middle East based on the principle of Israel secure within its
borders and a viable Palestinian state.
Britain and the World
- No to the Euro and EU Constitution
- More and better aid to tackle global poverty
- Stronger Armed Forces
- Keeping NATO at the heart of our foreign policy
Source: The Conservative Party, http://www.conservatives.com/pdf/manifesto-uk-2005.pdf
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The REAL Alternative
Liberal Democrats, General Election Manifesto
2005
International Affairs
BRITAIN'S PLACE IN EUROPE AND THE WORLD
It is often said that foreign affairs is not a determining issue
in UK elections.
But on this occasion the conduct of Britain's foreign affairs,
particularly in relation to Iraq, goes right to the heart of the
Labour Government's credibility.
"Both at home and abroad trust has been eroded, and Britain's
reputation diminished. It need not have been so. Britain, as a
member of the G8, the Security Council of the United Nations, the
European Union, NATO and the Commonwealth, has a unique opportunity
to be a force for good in the world. British practice has been one
of operating through multilateral institutions - and experience
shows that when Britain does this, it provides leadership and
influence.
"But Britain was taken to war against Iraq without express UN
authority and on a flawed prospectus. The Government built its case
on unreliable intelligence, in circumstances of doubtful legality.
Who would have thought that Labour would lead the country into a
war which has been compared to the fiasco of Suez?
"This must never be allowed to happen again. The work of
rebuilding trust and confidence should begin immediately. We can
start by committing ourselves to the reforms of the United Nations
set out in the High-Level Panel's sagacious report. We can
influence the whole of the Middle East by an unwavering commitment
to peace between Israel and the Palestinians. We can sharpen the
focus on assistance for the poorest countries in the world through
aid, debt relief and trade. We can pursue the cause of human rights
wherever they are abused and neglected.
"We can truly put ourselves at the heart of Europe and at the
heart of its reform. We can make sure that British arms exports
neither encourage conflict nor assist repression. We can fashion a
new relationship with the United States: a partnership of
influence, not one of uncritical subordination. We can base foreign
policy on liberal values, respect for the rule of law, and human
rights.
"I believe that only in this way can we maximise Britain's
influence, and restore Britain's reputation."
Sir Menzies Campbell, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign
Secretary
WE SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE TO WAR IN IRAQ
There were no weapons of mass destruction, there was no serious
and current threat, and inspectors were denied the time they needed
to finish their job. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been
killed and it has cost the UK over £3.5 billion. Britain must
never again support an illegal military intervention. But by
invading Iraq the Government has imposed on us a moral obligation
to work towards a stable, secure and free Iraq. We welcome the
recent elections. We will seek to strengthen and enlarge Iraqi
security forces so that they can assume greater responsibility,
include Sunni leaders in the political process, and ensure adequate
provision of food, water, sanitation and health care for all the
Iraqi people. We will support the transition to a fully democratic
and legitimate government, aiming to withdraw British troops by the
expiry of the UN mandate at the end of the year; the openended
presence of coalition forces is destabilising and fuels the
insurgency.
BUILD SECURITY AT HOME AND ABROAD
The best way to achieve security and to tackle the threat from
terrorism is through international action. Britain must work
through the United Nations, as a committed member of the EU, and
with the US to promote international law, democracy and respect for
human rights. We will work to reform the UN and the EU to make them
more responsive to international challenges...
Defence
OUR TROOPS PROTECT THE NATION - WE MUST PROTECT THEM
Britain's armed forces protect the country and are a force for
good in the world. But with increasing overseas commitments, they
are overstretched. The Government should not be cutting the size of
the armed forces while at the same time asking them to take on ever
more difficult tasks. New equipment continues to arrive late and
over-budget, so we will make military procurement more open and
competitive. By switching funding from unnecessary programmes, for
example by cutting the third tranche of the Eurofighter programme,
we will be able to invest more in protecting the welfare of the
armed forces, ensuring that they are well-trained and
well-equipped. We will seek new ways of sharing the military
burden, by working with allies through NATO and the EU. Liberal
Democrats will be realistic about what Britain can, and should,
take on, and British forces must always be able to deal with
emergencies at home, such as terrorism or natural disasters.
WORK FOR THE ELIMINATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND TACKLE THE ARMS
TRADE
We will press for a new round of multilateral arms reduction
talks, retaining the UK's current minimum nuclear deterrent for the
foreseeable future, until sufficient progress has been made towards
the global elimination of such weapons. Arms sales contribute to
conflict, so we will establish a cross-party Parliamentary Arms
Export Committee to monitor arms exports and scrutinise individual
licence applications. We will require arms brokers to register
under a code of conduct and revoke the licences of those who break
the code. We will support the establishment of an International
Arms Trade Treaty...
Source: Liberal Democrats, http://www.libdems.org.uk/party/policy/manifesto.html
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Real Progress
Green Party Manifesto 2005
[Chapter] 10. Real progress on Peace, Security and
International Policy: our place in the world
Greens are internationalists by nature. We believe our place in
the world is made more secure when the world's environmental and
social problems are being solved by successful international
relations based on global co-operation. These relations must be
underpinned by a commitment to real progress on peace, democracy,
mutual common security and economic fairness.
The Green Party will implement a truly ethical foreign policy,
with real progress on international social justice and equitable
sharing of the world's resources. We will work towards the trade
policies of economic localisation as the only viable, long-term
basis for peace and security.
Our steps for 2005-2010
- Introduce a truly ethical foreign policy
- Decommission the UK's nuclear weapons and work for arms
reduction
- Increase the overseas aid budget to 1% of the UK's Gross
National Investment (GNI)
- Cancel the UK's debt for the 52 poorest countries
- Reform the EU Replace or modify the WTO with the General
Agreement on Sustainable Trade (GAST)
A truly ethical foreign policy
The war in Iraq illustrates fundamental problems with current
British foreign policy, which is increasingly driven by militarism,
neo-conservative strategies for armed pre-emptive strikes and a
misguided faith in the 'special relationship' with the USA. The
UK's continuing need to secure long-term oil and gas supplies only
serves to exacerbate this process.
A Green government would not have gone to war in Iraq. Such an
act was against international law and lacked the support of the UN.
It was a profoundly misjudged act of foreign policy which has
killed thousands, reduced Iraq to chaos, and left the UK
dangerously exposed to global terrorism and divorced from our
partners in the EU. We will seek the withdrawal of UK troops, who
should be replaced by UN peacekeepers.
A Green government will rebuild our international reputation and
introduce a real ethical foreign policy. This will be based on
peaceful diplomacy (e.g. increased use of peacekeepers to help
prevent conflict), arms reduction, nuclear disarmament, the reform
of international bodies and the promotion of lasting common
security through aid, fair trade, environmental sustainability and
economic stability.
Arms reduction
A genuinely ethical foreign policy will enable us to make
substantial savings in defence expenditure in the longer term,
which will be diverted to public services such as the NHS. We will
therefore reduce UK military spending to the EU average.
A Green government will act to reduce arms sales worldwide by
ending subsidies and credits for UK arms exports, closing the
Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) and the Export Credit
Guarantee Department, and disbanding the service units that
presently demonstrate British defence equipment. We will join
Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands in negotiating a legally
binding, international Arms Trade Treaty to regulate arms transfers
according to recognised standards of human rights and humanitarian
law.
We will also decommission the UK's nuclear weapons and rule out
future use of chemical, biological or environmental weapons,
including depleted uranium shells...
Reform international institutions
The current structure of the UN Security Council, with permanent
seats for France, the UK, the US, Russia and China, is made
undemocratic and often impotent by the right to veto. We will work
to reform the United Nations by abolishing all permanent seats on
the Security Council and introducing decisionmaking by majority
vote.
We will also work to reform and democratise the International
Monetary Fund and the World Bank, ensuring that their work
prioritises conflict prevention and eradication of poverty and
disease, and enhances environmental sustainability...
Source: Green Party,
http://manifesto.greenparty.org.uk/site/downloads/
file1290GreenPartyManifesto2005.pdf
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IF SCOTLAND MATTERS TO YOU MAKE
IT MATTER IN MAY
Scottish National Party Manifesto 2005
INDEPENDENCE MEANS A BETTER STANDARD OF LIFE.
This year Norway will celebrate 100 years of
Independence.
Norway is roughly the same size as Scotland. But it
is one of the richest countries in the world. It has first class
public services. It gives more aid to developing countries than any
other nation. And it has invested its vast oil revenues in a fund
for the future that is now worth £85 billion.
If Norway can do it, why can't Scotland?
Independence would give Scotland the freedom as a
nation that we value for ourselves as individuals. The freedom to
make our own decisions. To take the action that will get our
economy growing...
To invest, not squander, our oil wealth. To get rid
of nuclear weapons and save our proud infantry regiments. And to
speak with our own voice in the world...
READY TO TAKE OUR PLACE IN THE WORLD.
Independence will give Scotland the freedom to speak with our
own voice in the world and take our place at the top tables of the
European Union and the United Nations.
An SNP government will always uphold the rule of international
law. We believe that the war in Iraq was illegal and we will always
oppose wars waged without international legal authority. We will
ensure that Scotland makes her contribution towards international
peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.
We will join the world community where necessary to preserve
peace and security.
We will preserve our historic regiments and strategic airforce
bases as part of our Scottish Defence Services. We will establish a
Scottish Centre for Reconciliation and Conflict Resolution, to
promote peaceful alternatives to armed conflict.
We support the Make Poverty History campaign to help the poorest
in our world.
We will contribute the UN target of 0.7% of national income to
international development.
And we will support the reform of international trade
organisations to create a more level playing field between rich and
poor nations.
We believe that Scotland is ready to take her place in the
world.
Source: Scottish National Party,
http://www.snp.org/homepagelatest/policy/snp_page.2005-04-18.1079583278
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We can build a better Wales
Plaid Cymru, Westminster Election Manifesto
2005
A BETTER WORLD
Under New Labour, Tony Blair has dragged the UK into a
disastrous and unjustified war in Iraq; the UK has been closely
aligned with a right-wing Republican US President and the idea of
an "ethical foreign policy" has been completely abandoned.
Plaid Cymru the Party of Wales will
- Never support a war without United Nations approval.
- Replace the current policy of subservience to the USA with a
renewal of the idea of "ethical foreign policy", based on values of
peace and justice.
- Argue for a fairer deal for the world's poor - to make poverty
history.
- Put the challenge of climate change at the heart of everything
we do.
ONE WORLD
The Bush/Blair "war against terrorism" is misconceived. Although
of course there is a need to protect ourselves against possible
terrorist attacks, it is important also to strike at the roots of
terrorism. These are often about the injustices suffered by the
poor of the world. Unless basic injustices are tackled in a serious
way, there will be a further build-up in tension, terrorism, and
conflict. Policies for justice are therefore also policies for
peace...
The capacity of the United Nations for peace-keeping and
conflict prevention should be strengthened.
We reiterate our opposition to all weapons of mass destruction,
including the UK's nuclear weapons and we will not support such
expenditure. We would reduce arms expenditure and establish a
Ministry for Peace to lead a drive to tackle the causes of war. The
UK government should play an active role in pushing for the
adoption of a legally binding international Arms Trade Treaty by
2006.
Plaid Cymru the Party of Wales, opposed US/UK military action in
Afghanistan and Iraq. We are now leading the campaign to impeach
Tony Blair for the way he twisted the truth to justify the war in
Iraq...
Source: Plaid Cymru, http://www.plaidcymru.org/ManifestoPlaidCymru2005.pdf
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Peace, Justice, Equality
The Respect manifesto for the May 2005
election
To fund the proposals we are making in this manifesto, Respect
proposes the following
- A massive cut in military spending. Disband Britain's weapons
of mass destruction, scrap nuclear weapons, decommission
Trident
- Transfer resources from military to useful production,
nationalise the arms industry
Source: Respect, http://www.respectcoalition.org/pdf/f325.pdf
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© 2005 The Acronym Institute.
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