TONY Blair says he would be prepared to use nuclear weapons if he became Prime Minister. What a cruel, inhuman and cynical remark!

I suppose this appalling statement was intended to increase the Labour Party's chances of winning the next election. With leadership of the kind that treats human life so cheaply, the Labour Party does not deserve to win.

He must see no contradiction between accepting responsibility for indiscriminate mass murder and his so-called 'Christian Socialism.'

For those who care about humanity, his attitude shows precious little Christianity and certainly no Socialism.

Blair can't care much about the United Nations' commitment to scrap nuclear weapons. But then, what's a decision of the United Nations worth when there is a chance to become Prime Minister on the back of any old irrational prejudice that might be worth a vote? He also doesn't see any problem in committing the people of this country to death in a nuclear war. Or would his nuclear weapons only be used against countries which could not retaliate? Is this what New Labour represents?

Nuclear weapons create a terrifying situation where the whole of human civilisation can be destroyed. The rational response to this is to work for international agreement on a convention prohibiting all possession of such weapons.

What is not rational is to threaten to use nuclear weapons. Blair's despicable remark puts him on the same level as the Tories with their twisted support for aggressive military power.

PETER BILLINGTON, Secretary, Hyndburn Trades Union Council, East Crescent, Accrington.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.