Magazine Issue 3 - Spring 1997
The Arms Conversion Programme

With the end of the cold war the global market in military hardware has, mercifully, entered a long period of decline. For the UK, however, where a huge community has been employed, directly or indirectly, by the defence sector, this has led to unfortunate social and economic consequences, consequences that could have been avoided. By Chris Grimshaw.

In the UK defence spending will have fallen by 14% in real terms between 1990-91 and 1996-97. As a natural corollary personnel have also been cut, service personnel by 29% during this period and civilian staff by 14%. Further cuts of 5% and 7.5% are planned between now and 97-98. Another huge group to have been affected are those whose jobs depend on MoD expenditure on equipment and other goods and services and on defence exports. Whilst up to date figures are hard to calculate for this group it is known that 150,000 lost their jobs between 1990 and 1992-93. Overall defence employment has been reduced by 47% since 1980.

If Britain's industrial base, too long dangerously dependent on military contracts, is not to become a wasteland of derelict factories and unemployed workers, it seems clear that considerable resources must channeled into retraining and diversification. For unemployment is an issue that affects us all, it destroys lives and ravages communities. It leads to greater crime and historically it is clearly linked to the emergence of very ugly right-wing politics.

True to character our government has washed its hands of any responsibility for the communities afflicted by defence cuts, preferring to leave them in the caring hands of the "free" market. In spite of vast national savings on defence, for most people the promised peace dividend has not appeared. Whilst the Tories have been harvesting it for tax cuts, many are those who have paid a peace penalty.

In order to fill the void left by government in 1988 the Nuclear Free Local Authorities established the Arms Conversion Project. Its mission was to help set the political agenda on matters of defence diversification; to encourage and empower defence dependent companies to diversify away from military projects; to identify and publicise positive developments; and to conduct research and generate new ideas and approachs. It publishes very detailed research on the defence industry throughout the UK and a bi-monthly journal called the Networker. The ACP has been fully operational since 1993 and is funded entirely by local authority sponsorship and subscriptions to its publications. Chief among its proposals has been the creation of a Defence Diversification Agency.

This would be a body taking a co-ordinating role in aiding companies and local areas to diversify and become less dependent on military contracts. A tiny research and networking group like the ACP can only do so much, but a properly structured and funded government agency might effect real change. Naturally the Tories oppose such interventionist measures, nonetheless it has gained considerable support - perhaps the ACP's greatest achievement so far has been persuading both the major opposition parties to adopt its proposals for a Defence Diversification Agency.

In much of Scotland Trade Unions and local authorities have established networks, covering the vast majority of Scotland's defence dependent companies and communities. Co-ordinated by the ACP these networks can now play a major role in the processes of diversification and rebuilding industries. The establishment of national and regional DDAs will assist this process hugely.

The ACP provides an open forum for all interested parties. Whilst it is not overtly a part of the radical movement it is friendly to peace activists and others and has facilitated dialogue between such groups and trade unions. It is committed to the creation of a sustainable industrial base.

There is too little space here to adequately cover all of the ACP's activities. If you would like to know more please write to the Arms Conversion Project, c/o Town Clerk's Dept., City Chambers, Glasgow G2 1DU. Scotland. or Tel: 0141 - 227 4173