against war with Iraq in London, February 15, 2003. Millions of people
took to the streets of towns and cities across the globe on Saturday to
demonstrate against a looming U.S. led war on Iraq in the biggest
protests since the Vietnam war. REUTERS/Toby Melville
Labour on NATO at 77. From Ernie Bevan via Tony Benn to Keir Starmer
It may be a little muted thanks to Easter but senior Labour figures have been posting support for NATO on the occasion of its 77th anniversary
Starmer has previously pointed out that Labour Foreign Secretary in the 1945 Attlee Government Ernie Bevin was a keen supported of NATO as it was set up. He is certainly correct since Britain was firmly part of the post Second World War geography of Europe which saw NATO(underwritten by the US) face off against the Warsaw Pact(underwritten by Russia) which was formed in 1955 as a reaction to NATO. I cant say I was a fan of either but this cold war ended in 1989 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. At that point, for example, British troops stationed in mainland Europe began to be scaled back.
Even before then many in Labour had been critical of NATO
Michael Foot was a founder of CND but supported NATO critically. He consistently opposed nuclear weapons and while he backed the Falklands War he strongly condemned the Iraq War,
Tony Benn argued that both NATO and the Warsaw Pact should be dissolved. The Warsaw Pact was indeed wound up after 1989 but NATO not only remained but considerably expanded
Tony Benn diary 7th June 1982
President Reagan arrived in Britain today and we(Labour NEC) considered a letter drafted by Denis Healey to Reagan from the Party…I moved that we should make clear that our ultimate aim was the dissolution of NATO and the Warsaw Pact and that was carried by 10 votes to 9.
Jeremy Corbyn was also critical of NATO which he saw, rightly in my view, as having become something of a front for US imperial interests. However Labour support for NATO was maintained at the 2019 Election. Starmer has a point but NATO has always been controversial in Labour too, even if he wants to try and ignore the historical reality.
Current events and random blurtings from Trump are putting the future of NATO in the spotlight. This post is concerned with history rather than crystal ball gazing but unwinding the structure of NATO would cause significant issues for imperialism, including the US whether Trump understands that or not…
thanks to John Walker for a correction on the formation of the Warsaw Pact
Kmflett's Blog 
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