The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, founded in 1958 at the height of Cold War tension, is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a new membership drive and a call to stop nuclear waste dumping.

An early day motion backed by more than 80 MPs are praising its long campaigning history. The organisation is unveiling a poster of a Trident missile covered with pictures of the celebrities, MPs and members of the public who have supported it in the past.

MPs Dafydd Wigley, the leader of Plaid Cymru, and Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National Party are due to attend the celebrations as the poster is unveiled at Elephant and Castle in South London.

A CND spokeswoman commented: "It is ironic that on the day CND celebrates its 40th birthday we see another crisis in the Middle East looming on the horizon.

"The Gulf situation shows what can happen when you allow the uncontrolled proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

"It is certainly ironic to see Britain and the US armed as they are with the most devastating weapon of mass destruction, nuclear weapons, going to war to prevent the spread of chemical and biological weapons."

CND's rise and decline

CND began with marches attended by thousands from London's Trafalgar Square to the nuclear research base at Aldermaston in Berkshire.

It was headed by philosopher Bertrand Russell and its distinctive logo, based on a dove of peace, became a wide-spread protest symbol.

After a decline during the period of detente in the 1970s, its popularity and influence reached a peak in 1984 with the Greenham Common cruise missile protests.

Its policy of unilateral nuclear disarmament was a key election pledge of the Labour party in 1983.

It now has around 40,000 members, down from a high of 100,000.
 

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