Methodist, Baptist, United Reformed Churches' joint statement on Trident
On the day Prime Minister Tony announced plan to upgrade Trident, leaders from the Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed Churches issued the following statement: "Our churches urge the British Government to work tirelessly to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction. The end of the Cold War gave us hope that this aim is achievable. Replacing Trident would send the wrong message to aspiring nuclear powers. Each Trident warhead is capable of delivering destruction several times that of the Hiroshima bomb, therefore the proposed reduction in the number of warheads is largely academic. Replacing Trident with a new system with a potential lifespan to 2050 flies in the face of commitments that the UK has made under the Non-Proliferation Treaty." Revd Jonathan Edwards General Secretary, The Baptist Union of Great Britain Mr. Dudley Coates Vice-President, The Methodist Church Revd Elizabeth Caswell Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church