Campaigners are to host a meeting in Cambridge where they will discuss the anticipated return of nuclear weapons to the US military base at Lakenheath, just 28 miles from the city.
Documents that detailed a contract awarded to build defensive shelters for RAF Lakenheath’s “upcoming nuclear mission” were published by the US Department of Defense in January last year, but then withdrawn.
CND held a Citizens’ Weapons Inspection at RAF Lakenheath in 2023, following reports that the base was being primed for the return of US nuclear weapons Picture: Mecha Morton
It is believed the mobile units would protect troops assigned to defend the base, which is home to the 48th Security Forces Squadron.
A budget document also showed that millions of dollars have been earmarked to build a “surety dormitory” at the Suffolk base, which is believed to be a storage facilities for nuclear weapons.
Cambridge CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) has combined with Cambridge Stop the War and Cambridge Women in Black to host a meeting to discuss the anticipated return of nuclear weapons to Lakenheath.
RAF Lakenheath. Picture: Mark Westley
The event, which will be held at Friends Meeting House on 22 January, will explore the increased threat of nuclear war, with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022 increasing tensions. A Parliamentary report published last month said of the Russian leader: “President Putin has increasingly used the threat of the Russian nuclear arsenal to pressurise the West over its military and diplomatic support for Ukraine.”
The concern has been compounded by the unravelling of stability in the Middle East, supercharged by the unpredictable nature and uncertain policies of Donald Trump, who becomes US President for a second time this month.
Retired academic Alan Tait is pleased that Cambridge CND is being revived. Picture: Keith Heppell
The meeting will also discuss the implications of a nuclear arsenal at Lakenheath for the region.
“CND faded down after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1990 when the threat was seen as much diminished,” says Alan Tait, acting secretary, Cambridge and District CND Group. “However, since 2000 or so, it has been growing again, with the decision to have the Trident missile and more recently still to renew it at huge cost.”
CND general secretary Sophie Bolt. Picture: CND
Speakers at the event will include representatives from the Lakenheath Alliance for Peace, who co-ordinate protest actions at the base, city councillor Elliot Tong (Green, Abbey), and Sophie Bolt and Andrew Murray, who will speak from the national levels for CND and Stop the War.
Ms Bolt, the CND general secretary, said: “2025 will see the return of US nuclear weapons to nearby RAF Lakenheath, 17 years after a grassroots campaign led to their removal.
“This is a matter of grave concern not just for the people of Cambridgeshire but Britain as a whole. We have already seen a growth in militarism and nuclear tensions globally and these tensions are going to be turbocharged as Donald Trump returns to the White House. We need to build opposition to this drive to war from the community up and work for peaceful solutions to conflicts wherever they are taking place.”
Andrew Murray, deputy president of the Stop the War Coalition. Picture: CND
Cllr Tong said: “I am sure that the topic that will dominate the discussion is the potential arrival of nuclear weapons at RAF Lakenheath, something which has long been suspected but only confirmed last year. Many local residents haven’t been told that this is happening, which is especially shocking considering that they could be put in danger if a war were to break out. Transparency is essential, and that’s something we’re just not seeing at the moment.”
The UK government’s policy on nuclear weapons at RAF Lakenheath is to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at any given location. This is a long-standing policy shared with NATO.
CND held a Citizens’ Weapons Inspection at RAF Lakenheath in 2023, following reports that the base is being primed for the return of US nuclear weapons. Picture: Mecha Morton
Mr Murray, deputy president of the Stop the War Coalition, said that the UK and the US “allowing and enabling the firing of our missiles directly into Russian territory” since November 2024 was “a very dangerous turn”.
He added: “We urgently need a peace settlement before there is nuclear escalation, and we have a special responsibility to achieve that because of the depth of our government’s involvement in the war. [Prime Minister] Keir Starmer has recommitted to pouring £3bn a year into military aid to Ukraine, while telling us there’s a £22bn black hole in the public purse and taking money off pensioners.
Cambridge CND meeting, January 2025
“So we as an anti-war movement must keep up the pressure on the British government. We must demand to know what it will be doing if, as seems probable, the US Congress under President Trump refuses to provide more money to Ukraine. Will the UK be trying to consort with other European powers to fill in the gaps and keep the war going or will it allow peace negotiations to go forward? Our politicians are silent on these questions, and we must intervene on the side of peace and demand answers.”
The meeting takes place at 6.30pm in Friends Meeting House on Jesus Lane, on Wednesday, 22 January.