Skip to main content
Work with the NEU
Peace not war, education not militarism

We must take a stand against the government’s spending on war

Trade unionists and protesters form a blockade outside weapons manufacturer BAE Systems in Rochester, Kent, in protest over the Israel-Gaza conflict and calling for an immediate ceasefire to halt the killing of civilians in Palestine, November 10, 2023

I AM a teacher. I am also a veteran. I served in the British Army operationally in Northern Ireland. I have witnessed first-hand the loss, grief and tragedy that comes from violent conflict.

The devastation in Ukraine is on a far greater scale. We should be working towards a resolution of the conflict, towards peace. Negotiations are preferable to more killing.

We need a negotiated peace deal to end the war. A war that has killed, amputated, blinded and traumatised up to a million battle casualties on either side. A war that is locked in a deadly stalemate.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
A family stands on ruins of their home after a Russian air guided bomb hit their private house in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
Military spending / 17 July 2026
17 July 2026

SOPHIE BOLT argues that spending more on military will harm rather than benefit Britain by diverting vital resources away from essential public services

TAKING FROM WELFARE TO GIVE TO WARFARE: Keir Starmer during a visit to defence contractor Stark in Swindon on June 5 2026
Features / 17 June 2026
17 June 2026

British military spending is among the highest in the world, diverts scarce resources from far better causes and fuels international conflict. It’s time we made different choices, argues LIZ PAYNE