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United Kingdom
Nuclear-armed state
Possesses 225 nuclear weapons
Has not yet joined the TPNW
Status
The United Kingdom has not yet signed or ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
National position
The United Kingdom has consistently voted against an annual UN General Assembly resolution since 2018 that welcomes the adoption of the TPNW and calls upon all states to sign, ratify, or accede to it “at the earliest possible date”.
Along with other nuclear-armed states, the United Kingdom has said that it does “not accept any claim that [the TPNW] contributes to the development of customary international law”. It has called on all states that are considering supporting the the treaty “to reflect seriously on its implications for international peace and security”.
Doctors from Medact and its global federation, the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, meet in York in 2017. Photo: IPPNW
Nuclear-weapon programme
The United Kingdom possesses approximately 225 nuclear weapons, which it can launch from nuclear-capable submarines based off the coast of Scotland at Her Majesty’s Naval Base. One submarine is usually on patrol at any given time.
In 2021, the United Kingdom announced that it would increase the limit on the size of its nuclear arsenal for the first time in decades. Instead of decreasing its nuclear stockpile to 180 warheads by the mid-2020s as previously planned, the United Kingdom now intends to increase its stockpile by 40 per cent to 260 warheads.
In 2022, the United Kingdom spent an estimated US$6.8 billion to build and maintain its nuclear forces.
The United Kingdom tested 45 nuclear weapons between 1952 and 1991. From 1952 to 1963, it conducted 12 nuclear test explosions and up to 600 so-called “minor trials” in Australia. Between 1957 and 1962, it tested (with the United States) 33 nuclear weapons at Malden and Kiritimati islands in Kiribati.
Political developments
More than 60 members of the Westminster parliament, along with dozens of members of the Scottish parliament and the Welsh assembly, have pledged to work for the United Kingdom’s signature and ratification of the TPNW.
In 2020, the first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, wrote that “the Scottish government is firmly opposed to the possession, threat, and use of nuclear weapons” and “I have called on the UK government to sign and ratify the treaty”.
Ahead of the TPNW’s entry into force in 2021, Sturgeon said: “An independent Scotland would be a keen signatory [to the TPNW] and I hope the day we can do that is not far off.”
In 2020, more than 30 bishops and archbishops of the Church of England published a letter calling on the government to sign the TPNW. Many cities across the country, including Manchester, Brighton, Oxford, and Edinburgh, have also appealed for this.
Public opinion
A public opinion poll conducted in 2021 by Survation on behalf of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament found that 59 per cent of Britons believe that their country should join the TPNW, with just 19 per cent opposed to joining.
TPNW negotiations
The United Kingdom did not participate in the negotiation of the TPNW at the United Nations in New York in 2017 and thus did not vote on its adoption. On the opening day of the negotiating conference, it joined the United States and several other states in protesting the treaty-making process.
In 2016, the United Kingdom voted against the UN General Assembly resolution that established the formal mandate for states to commence negotiations on “a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination”.
The United Kingdom actively discouraged other states, in particular its former colonies, from supporting the resolution.
A public opinion poll conducted by YouGov ahead of the TPNW negotiations in 2017 found that 75 per cent of British people believed that their government should participate in the negotiations, with 9 per cent opposed to participating and 16 per cent undecided.
A Japanese paper crane sits on the empty desk of the United Kingdom during the TPNW negotiations in New York in 2017. Photo: ICAN
ICAN campaigners meet in London in 2015 to discuss progress towards negotiations on a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons. Photo: ICAN
Nuclear-armed state
Possesses 225 nuclear weapons
Has not yet joined the TPNW
[HIGHLIGHTS]
Status
The United Kingdom has not yet signed or ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
National position
The United Kingdom has consistently voted against an annual UN General Assembly resolution since 2018 that welcomes the adoption of the TPNW and calls upon all states to sign, ratify, or accede to it “at the earliest possible date”.
Along with other nuclear-armed states, the United Kingdom has said that it does “not accept any claim that [the TPNW] contributes to the development of customary international law”. It has called on all states that are considering supporting the the treaty “to reflect seriously on its implications for international peace and security”.
Doctors from Medact and its global federation, the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, meet in York in 2017. Photo: IPPNW
Nuclear-weapon programme
The United Kingdom possesses approximately 225 nuclear weapons, which it can launch from nuclear-capable submarines based off the coast of Scotland at Her Majesty’s Naval Base. One submarine is usually on patrol at any given time.
In 2021, the United Kingdom announced that it would increase the limit on the size of its nuclear arsenal for the first time in decades. Instead of decreasing its nuclear stockpile to 180 warheads by the mid-2020s as previously planned, the United Kingdom now intends to increase its stockpile by 40 per cent to 260 warheads.
In 2022, the United Kingdom spent an estimated US$6.8 billion to build and maintain its nuclear forces.
The United Kingdom tested 45 nuclear weapons between 1952 and 1991. From 1952 to 1963, it conducted 12 nuclear test explosions and up to 600 so-called “minor trials” in Australia. Between 1957 and 1962, it tested (with the United States) 33 nuclear weapons at Malden and Kiritimati islands in Kiribati.
Political developments
More than 60 members of the Westminster parliament, along with dozens of members of the Scottish parliament and the Welsh assembly, have pledged to work for the United Kingdom’s signature and ratification of the TPNW.
In 2020, the first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, wrote that “the Scottish government is firmly opposed to the possession, threat, and use of nuclear weapons” and “I have called on the UK government to sign and ratify the treaty”.
Ahead of the TPNW’s entry into force in 2021, Sturgeon said: “An independent Scotland would be a keen signatory [to the TPNW] and I hope the day we can do that is not far off.”
In 2020, more than 30 bishops and archbishops of the Church of England published a letter calling on the government to sign the TPNW. Many cities across the country, including Manchester, Brighton, Oxford, and Edinburgh, have also appealed for this.
Public opinion
A public opinion poll conducted in 2021 by Survation on behalf of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament found that 59 per cent of Britons believe that their country should join the TPNW, with just 19 per cent opposed to joining.
TPNW negotiations
The United Kingdom did not participate in the negotiation of the TPNW at the United Nations in New York in 2017 and thus did not vote on its adoption. On the opening day of the negotiating conference, it joined the United States and several other states in protesting the treaty-making process.
In 2016, the United Kingdom voted against the UN General Assembly resolution that established the formal mandate for states to commence negotiations on “a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination”.
The United Kingdom actively discouraged other states, in particular its former colonies, from supporting the resolution.
A public opinion poll conducted by YouGov ahead of the TPNW negotiations in 2017 found that 75 per cent of British people believed that their government should participate in the negotiations, with 9 per cent opposed to participating and 16 per cent undecided.
A Japanese paper crane sits on the empty desk of the United Kingdom during the TPNW negotiations in New York in 2017. Photo: ICAN
ICAN campaigners meet in London in 2015 to discuss progress towards negotiations on a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons. Photo: ICAN
[PARTNERS]
80000 voices
Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy
Article 36
British Pugwash
Campaign Against Arms Trade
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament UK (CND)
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Cymru
Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Greenpeace UK
ICAN UK
Hastings Against War
Medact
Movement for the Abolition of War
No Waste Alliance
Nuclear Free Local Authorities
Nuclear Information Service
Pax Christi British Section
Quaker Peace & Social Witness
Scientists for Global Responsibility (UK)
Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Trident Ploughshares
United Nations House of Scotland
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
World Court Project UK
Legacy of the Atomic Bomb. Recognition for Atomic Test Survivors (LABRATS)
Yorkshire Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Pax Christi Scotland
Anglican Pacifist Fellowship
Hereford Peace Council
Pindex
The Conflict and Environment Observatory
Secure Scotland
[LOCALSUPPORT]
Support for TPNW in the United Kingdom Get involved with ICAN in the United Kingdom ›
ICAN Cities Appeal:
These cities, towns and provinces support the TPNW
Bangor, Wales
Blackshaw Head
Brighton and Hove
East Ayrshire
Edinburgh
Fife
Glasgow
Hastings Borough
Hebden Royd
Holme Valley Parish
Keighley, Wales
Lancaster
Leeds
Manchester
Merthyr Tydfil Council
Newham
Norwich
Oxford
Renfrewshire
Shaw and Crompton
Shipley
Todmorden
Tower Hamlets
Nefyn, Wales
Gwynedd
Parliamentary Pledge
These are the elected officials that have taken the ICAN Parliamentary Pledge to support and promote the TPNW:
United Kingdom Parliament
Hannah Bardell MP
Mhairi Black MP
Ian Blackford MP
Kirsty Blackman MP
Deidre Brock MP
Alan Brown MP
Ruth Cadbury MP
Lisa Cameron MP
Douglas Chapman MP
Joanna Cherry MP
Ronnie Cowan MP
Angela Crawley MP
Janet Daby MP
Martyn Day MP
David Drew MP
Martin Docherty-Hughes MP
Jonathan Edwards MP
Marion Fellows MP
Paul Flynn MP
Stephen Gethins MP
Patricia Gibson MP
Patrick Grady MP
Peter Grant MP
Neil Gray MP
John Grogan MP
Fabian Hamilton MP
Helen Hayes MP
Drew Hendry MP
Kelvin Hopkins MP
Stewart Hosie MP
Ben Lake MP
Chris Law MP
David Linden MP
Caroline Lucas MP
Rachael Maskell MP
Stewart Mcdonald MP
Stuart McDonald MP
John McNally MP
Angus Brendan MacNeil MP
Carol Monaghan MP
Ian Murray MPwi
Gavin Newlands MP
Brendan O'Hara MP
Liz Saville Roberts MP
Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP
Tommy Sheppard MP
Alex Sobel MP
Christopher Stephens MP
Jo Stevens MP
Alison Thewliss MP
Thelma Walker MP
Catherine West MP
Philippa Whitford MP
Hywel Williams MP
Peter Wishart MP
Mohammad Yasin MP
Jonathan Woods MP
Daniel Zeichner MP
Debbie Abrahams MP
Stephen Twigg MP
Ruth George MP
Louise Haigh MP
Paul Blomfield MP
Jane Dodds MP
Olivia Blake MP
Tommy Sheppard MP
Tony Lloyd MP
Zarah Sultana MP
United Kingdom Scottish Parliament
George Adam MSP
Clare Adamson MSP
Alasdair Allan MSP
Tom Arthur MSP
Claudia Beamish MSP
Colin Beattie MSP
Keith Brown MSP
Aileen Campbell MSP
Willie Coffey MSP
Angela Constance MSP
Bruce Crawford MSP
Roseanna Cunningham MSP
Ash Denham MSP
Graeme Dey MSP
Bob Doris MSP
James Dornan MSP
Annabelle Ewing MSP
Fergus Ewing MSP
Linda Fabiani MSP
Neil Findlay MSP
John Finnie MSP
Joe FitzPatrick MSP
Kate Forbes MSP
Jeane Freeman MSP
Kenneth Gibson MSP
Jenny Gilruth MSP
Mairi Gougeon MSP
Christine Grahame MSP
Ross Greer MSP
Emma Harper MSP
Patrick Harvie MSP
Clare Haughey MSP
Jamie Hepburn MSP
Fiona Hyslop MSP
Daniel Johnson MSP
Alison Johnstone MSP
Bill Kidd MSP
Richard Lochhead MSP
Richard Lyle MSP
Joan McAlpine MSP
Gordon MacDonald MSP
Angus MacDonald MSP
Fulton MacGregor MSP
Rona Mackay MSP
Derek Mackay MSP
Ivan McKee MSP
Christina McKelvie MSP
Stuart McMillan MSP
Ben Macpherson MSP
Ruth Maguire MSP
Gillian Martin MSP
John Mason MSP
Michael Matheson MSP
Alex Neil MSP
Gil Paterson MSP
Shona Robison MSP
Gail Ross MSP
Mark Ruskell MSP
Michael Russell MSP
Elaine Smith MSP
Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP
Stewart Stevenson MSP
Kevin Stewart MSP
Nicola Sturgeon MSP
John Swinney MSP
Maree Todd MSP
David Torrance MSP
Maureen Watt MSP
Paul Wheelhouse MSP
Sandra White MSP
Andy Wightman MSP
Humza Yousaf MSP
Patrick Harvie MSP
Lorna Slater MSP
Ross Greer MSP
Gillian Mackay MSP
Mark Ruskell MSP
Maggie Chapman MSP
Ariane Burgess MSP
Maggie Chapman MSP
United Kingdom Welsh Assembly
Llyr Gruffydd AM
Mike Hedges AM
Dai Lloyd AM
David Rees AM
Bethan Sayed AM
Simon Thomas AM
Leanne Wood AM
Adam Price AM
Sian Gwenllian AM
Delyth Jewell AM
Helen Mary Jones AM
Neil McEvoy AM
Carwyn Jones AM
Rhun ap Iorwerth AM
Mick Antoniw AM
Elin Jones AM
Rhys ab Owen AM
Mick Antoniw AM
Mabon ap Gwynfor AM
Cefin Campbell AM
Luke Fletcher AM
Heledd Fychan AM
John Griffiths AM
Peredur Owen Griffiths AM
Carolyn Thomas AM
Sioned Williams AM
United Kingdom European Parliament
Jill Evans MEP
Ian Hudghton MEP
Jean Lambert MEP
Molly Scott Cato MEP
Alyn Smith MEP
Derek Vaughan MEP
Keith Taylor MEP
Julie Ward MEP
Catherine Rowett MEP
United Kingdom Local Legislators
Sharif Ali Ashraf
Steffany McGee
William Bishop
Nathan Randles
Sam Al-Hamdani
Hfsa Fahad
Martin Judd
Heather Price
Derek Heffernan
Emilie McSwiggan
Sue Miller
Natalie Bennett
Joan Walmsley
Cllr Kevin Warnes
Jenny Jones
Jenny Tonge
Joan Walmsley
Dale Barton
Mike Bradley
David Noland
Geoff Reid
Dave Taylor
Kevin Warnes
STATES OF GUERNSEY
Emilie McSwiggan
No events yet
Related news View all news ›
Support for TPNW in the United Kingdom Get involved with ICAN in the United Kingdom ›
ICAN Cities Appeal:
These cities, towns and provinces support the TPNW
Bangor, Wales
Blackshaw Head
Brighton and Hove
East Ayrshire
Edinburgh
Fife
Glasgow
Hastings Borough
Hebden Royd
Holme Valley Parish
Keighley, Wales
Lancaster
Leeds
Manchester
Merthyr Tydfil Council
Newham
Norwich
Oxford
Renfrewshire
Shaw and Crompton
Shipley
Todmorden
Tower Hamlets
Nefyn, Wales
Gwynedd
Parliamentary Pledge
These are the elected officials that have taken the ICAN Parliamentary Pledge to support and promote the TPNW:
United Kingdom Parliament
Hannah Bardell MP
Mhairi Black MP
Ian Blackford MP
Kirsty Blackman MP
Deidre Brock MP
Alan Brown MP
Ruth Cadbury MP
Lisa Cameron MP
Douglas Chapman MP
Joanna Cherry MP
Ronnie Cowan MP
Angela Crawley MP
Janet Daby MP
Martyn Day MP
David Drew MP
Martin Docherty-Hughes MP
Jonathan Edwards MP
Marion Fellows MP
Paul Flynn MP
Stephen Gethins MP
Patricia Gibson MP
Patrick Grady MP
Peter Grant MP
Neil Gray MP
John Grogan MP
Fabian Hamilton MP
Helen Hayes MP
Drew Hendry MP
Kelvin Hopkins MP
Stewart Hosie MP
Ben Lake MP
Chris Law MP
David Linden MP
Caroline Lucas MP
Rachael Maskell MP
Stewart Mcdonald MP
Stuart McDonald MP
John McNally MP
Angus Brendan MacNeil MP
Carol Monaghan MP
Ian Murray MPwi
Gavin Newlands MP
Brendan O'Hara MP
Liz Saville Roberts MP
Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP
Tommy Sheppard MP
Alex Sobel MP
Christopher Stephens MP
Jo Stevens MP
Alison Thewliss MP
Thelma Walker MP
Catherine West MP
Philippa Whitford MP
Hywel Williams MP
Peter Wishart MP
Mohammad Yasin MP
Jonathan Woods MP
Daniel Zeichner MP
Debbie Abrahams MP
Stephen Twigg MP
Ruth George MP
Louise Haigh MP
Paul Blomfield MP
Jane Dodds MP
Olivia Blake MP
Tommy Sheppard MP
Tony Lloyd MP
Zarah Sultana MP
United Kingdom Scottish Parliament
George Adam MSP
Clare Adamson MSP
Alasdair Allan MSP
Tom Arthur MSP
Claudia Beamish MSP
Colin Beattie MSP
Keith Brown MSP
Aileen Campbell MSP
Willie Coffey MSP
Angela Constance MSP
Bruce Crawford MSP
Roseanna Cunningham MSP
Ash Denham MSP
Graeme Dey MSP
Bob Doris MSP
James Dornan MSP
Annabelle Ewing MSP
Fergus Ewing MSP
Linda Fabiani MSP
Neil Findlay MSP
John Finnie MSP
Joe FitzPatrick MSP
Kate Forbes MSP
Jeane Freeman MSP
Kenneth Gibson MSP
Jenny Gilruth MSP
Mairi Gougeon MSP
Christine Grahame MSP
Ross Greer MSP
Emma Harper MSP
Patrick Harvie MSP
Clare Haughey MSP
Jamie Hepburn MSP
Fiona Hyslop MSP
Daniel Johnson MSP
Alison Johnstone MSP
Bill Kidd MSP
Richard Lochhead MSP
Richard Lyle MSP
Joan McAlpine MSP
Gordon MacDonald MSP
Angus MacDonald MSP
Fulton MacGregor MSP
Rona Mackay MSP
Derek Mackay MSP
Ivan McKee MSP
Christina McKelvie MSP
Stuart McMillan MSP
Ben Macpherson MSP
Ruth Maguire MSP
Gillian Martin MSP
John Mason MSP
Michael Matheson MSP
Alex Neil MSP
Gil Paterson MSP
Shona Robison MSP
Gail Ross MSP
Mark Ruskell MSP
Michael Russell MSP
Elaine Smith MSP
Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP
Stewart Stevenson MSP
Kevin Stewart MSP
Nicola Sturgeon MSP
John Swinney MSP
Maree Todd MSP
David Torrance MSP
Maureen Watt MSP
Paul Wheelhouse MSP
Sandra White MSP
Andy Wightman MSP
Humza Yousaf MSP
Patrick Harvie MSP
Lorna Slater MSP
Ross Greer MSP
Gillian Mackay MSP
Mark Ruskell MSP
Maggie Chapman MSP
Ariane Burgess MSP
Maggie Chapman MSP
United Kingdom Welsh Assembly
Llyr Gruffydd AM
Mike Hedges AM
Dai Lloyd AM
David Rees AM
Bethan Sayed AM
Simon Thomas AM
Leanne Wood AM
Adam Price AM
Sian Gwenllian AM
Delyth Jewell AM
Helen Mary Jones AM
Neil McEvoy AM
Carwyn Jones AM
Rhun ap Iorwerth AM
Mick Antoniw AM
Elin Jones AM
Rhys ab Owen AM
Mick Antoniw AM
Mabon ap Gwynfor AM
Cefin Campbell AM
Luke Fletcher AM
Heledd Fychan AM
John Griffiths AM
Peredur Owen Griffiths AM
Carolyn Thomas AM
Sioned Williams AM
United Kingdom European Parliament
Jill Evans MEP
Ian Hudghton MEP
Jean Lambert MEP
Molly Scott Cato MEP
Alyn Smith MEP
Derek Vaughan MEP
Keith Taylor MEP
Julie Ward MEP
Catherine Rowett MEP
United Kingdom Local Legislators
Sharif Ali Ashraf
Steffany McGee
William Bishop
Nathan Randles
Sam Al-Hamdani
Hfsa Fahad
Martin Judd
Heather Price
Derek Heffernan
Emilie McSwiggan
Sue Miller
Natalie Bennett
Joan Walmsley
Cllr Kevin Warnes
Jenny Jones
Jenny Tonge
Joan Walmsley
Dale Barton
Mike Bradley
David Noland
Geoff Reid
Dave Taylor
Kevin Warnes
STATES OF GUERNSEY
Emilie McSwiggan
Find a partner in United Kingdom to get active Become an ICAN Partner Organization ›
-
80000 voices
-
Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy
-
Article 36
-
British Pugwash
-
Campaign Against Arms Trade
-
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament UK (CND)
-
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Cymru
-
Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
-
Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre
-
Fellowship of Reconciliation
-
Greenpeace UK
-
ICAN UK
-
Hastings Against War
-
Medact
-
Movement for the Abolition of War
-
No Waste Alliance
-
Nuclear Free Local Authorities
-
Nuclear Information Service
-
Pax Christi British Section
-
Quaker Peace & Social Witness
-
Scientists for Global Responsibility (UK)
-
Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
-
Trident Ploughshares
-
United Nations House of Scotland
-
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
-
World Court Project UK
-
Legacy of the Atomic Bomb. Recognition for Atomic Test Survivors (LABRATS)
-
Yorkshire Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
-
Pax Christi Scotland
-
Anglican Pacifist Fellowship
-
Hereford Peace Council
-
Pindex
-
The Conflict and Environment Observatory
-
Secure Scotland