The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) today rejected as "completely ridiculous" claims in the Sunday Telegraph that CND's policies had been manipulated in the 1980s by Vic Allen, a CND member who has admitted passing on information to the Stasi, the East German secret police.

Dave Knight, Chair of CND, said:

"Whatever claims Vic Allen may make, the facts are that our policy supporting unilateral nuclear disarmament action by the British Government has stood since the 1950s and been universally supported throughout CND by people from right across the political spectrum.

"The views of Vic Allen and a small number of other pro-Soviet members were well known to us all but CND has always unequivocally condemned the possession of nuclear weapons by any state and was never 'softer' on the then Soviet Union than on the UK, US, French or Chinese governments."

CND also stated that the Sunday Telegraph's claims that Vic Allen was a senior figure within CND were grossly exaggerated.

"In describing Vic as a 'CND Chief' just because he was a member of National Council for a short while is ridiculous," said Mr. Knight. "There were over 100 members of CND Council - he was just one voice and one vote."

The Sunday Telegraph also claim Allen 'nearly succeeded Joan Ruddock as Chair in 1985.' In fact, Vic Allen was heavily defeated in the election coming last out of five candidates. "He received a derisory number of votes," said Mr Knight.

In re-inforcing the view that Vic Allen's influence was negligible Mr Knight said:

"CND members are not and never have been as naïve as the Sunday Telegraph suggests. We all knew where Vic stood - he was entitled to his views and we were entitled to ours. He most certainly did not 'swing CND behind the Soviets' and nor did anyone else. CND was and remains independent of all governments and neither the Stasi, the KGB, the CIA nor our own MI5 have ever managed to change that."

For further information please contact the CND Press Office on
0973 773671 or pager 0336 724404