Politics
People to protest against Britain’s nuclear expansion at RAF Marham
CND, along with trade unions, civil society, and faith groups, will gather at RAF Marham on Saturday, 28 February. They’re protesting against Britain’s purchase of nuclear-capable F-35A fighter jets. And they’re demanding that Keir Starmer reverses the plan to give the RAF a nuclear role for the first time in nearly 30 years.
The protest comes as opposition to Britain’s military alliance with the reckless leadership of US president Donald Trump is growing.
Announced by Starmer at the NATO summit in June 2025, the jets will be assigned to NATO’s Dual Capable Aircraft mission. There was no debate or vote in Parliament on expanding Britain’s nuclear capabilities. RAF crews will be trained to use US B61-12 nuclear bombs that are likely now deployed at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.
‘Battlefield nukes’
These bombs each have three times the destructive power of the Hiroshima bomb that killed over 200,000 people. The US has designed them for use ‘on the battlefield’, against troops and conventional weapons.
Modelling provided from Princeton University warns that the use of these so-called ‘battlefield nukes’ could quickly escalate into a wider conflict leading to 2.6 million deaths in just the first few hours.
Starmer made the rushed NATO summit announcement without parliamentary debate. Following evidence from defence secretary John Healey to the Public Accounts Committee, it became clear that Starmer had no knowledge of the costs or even if the programme is deliverable.
The National Audit Office estimates that Britain’s F-35 programme, which will include a total of 75 nuclear-capable aircraft and 63 non-nuclear jets, will cost at least £71bn. That’s without the additional costs of the lengthy integration into NATO’s nuclear mission. The purchase of the new jets will increase profits for US arms company Lockheed Martin.
From RAF Marham to Gaza
RAF Marham is also a key transport hub for UK-made F-35 parts. Israel has used F-35Is extensively in its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Between 2023 and 2024, 14 shipments were sent directly to Nevatim Airbase in Israel. Now, RAF Marham continues to transport parts to the US, from where they proceed to Israel.
This crucial protest is part of a campaign which leading trade union and political figures are supporting. It demands that Starmer halts the nuclear expansion and focuses on diplomacy and dialogue to de-escalate global tensions and encourage global cooperation to solve the urgent security risks of climate breakdown and worsening social deprivation.
The event will take place from 1:00pm-3:00pm on Saturday, 28 February. The location is RAF Marham, Upper Marham, King’s Lynn, PE33 9NP. Assemble at Queen Elizabeth II Gate, the main entrance for RAF Marham, on Burnthouse Drove. Find more details and a map here.
Protest includes rally, briefing about the base, music and XR drummers.
Photo stunt (approximately 2pm): Break the link with Donald Trump!
Sophie Bolt is general secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). She said:
Buying US nuclear-capable fighter jets that launch US nuclear weapons has nothing to do with keeping the British population safe. It’s a backroom deal that will cost us tens of billions and bind us even closer to Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda.
This is making the world even more chaotic and dangerous. It’s time for a reset. We need an independent foreign policy that respects international law, resolves conflict through diplomacy and dialogue and champions global cooperation to halt climate breakdown.
Such a reset would free up hundreds of billions to tackle the real security issues we face like climate breakdown and social deprivation.
Stop the War Coalition convenor Lindsey German said:
At a time when the government is considering hiking defence spending to 3% of GDP within the next five years at a cost of £15bn to taxpayers – appeasing Trump at every step of his way to the next world war – and as we mark four years of the Ukraine war, with around 1.5 million casualties on both sides, we have to demand peace, no more forever wars and no threats of nuclear war.
That’s why I’m pleased to be joining CND’s demo at RAF Marham next Saturday.
Featured image via the Canary