International

Krista van Velzen, SP Member of Parliament and the party's spokeswoman on defence and disarmament, is "delighted", she says, that Labour (PvdA) mayors have added their voices to calls for American nuclear weapons to be removed from the Netherlands. Those endorsing the call include the Mayor of Uden, where the weapons are located. The Dutch Labour Party mayors were joined by colleagues from towns and districts harbouring US nuclear weaponry in a number of other NATO countries including Germany, Belgium, Italy and Turkey. On Tuesday parliament will vote on a motion presented by the SP calling for the removal from the Netherlands of all nuclear weapons. Will Labour members support the motion and try to make the anti-nuclear weapon position tell, or will the Labour mayors' stance remain no more than lip-service?

The Netherlands delegation to the United Nations General Assembly has been instructed by parliament to change its position and give its support to demands for an international enquiry into the effects of depleted uranium. A motion presented by SP defence and disarmament spokeswoman Krista van Velzen in favour of such an enquiry won the backing of her parliamentary colleagues earlier this week, yet when the matter came before the UN the Dutch delegation voted – for the second time in a month - against. Declaring that she is not prepared to put up with such a blatant negation of a democratic decision, Van Velzen is demanding an explanation from the cabinet. At the same time, the SP will be joined by Labour colleagues in organising a hearing on the effects of depleted uranium on health.