LEADING stars of arts and science including Dame Vivienne Westwood and Nobel prize winner Professor Peter Higgs have thrown their weight behind a campaign to scrap Trident.

Comedian Frankie Boyle, band Massive Attack and US linguist Noam Chomsky have all put their names to a letter published in the Observer yesterday urging Britain to “move on from Trident” and not renew the multi-billion pound nuclear deterrent.

Launched by political group Compass, the letter claims polling data suggests nuclear disarmament is a “majority popular demand” across the country.

The letter said: “Pinning our security on a nuclear deterrent encourages others to do the same. The UK should become the first permanent member of the UN security council to give up all its nuclear weapons, transforming the nuclear club from within.

“Instead of protecting us, hosting nuclear weapons makes us a target for the disaffected. And any accident would lead to a humanitarian disaster. Having nuclear weapons diverts resources and attention from tackling our most urgent security problems, including climate and environmental destruction.”

It adds that investment in Trident was “actively depleting” the armed forces and spending should instead be focused on “conflict prevention.”

Former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq, Mercury music prize winners Young Fathers and novelist Kamila Shamsie were also among the 70 signatories to the letter.

Young Fathers have also backed today’s Bairns Not Bombs blockade of the Faslane nuclear weapons base in Scotland.

The hip-hop group also released their own more expletive-laded statement: “Humans already have the ability to destroy the world. We can only blow it up the once. If there’s a nuclear war we’re all fucked. Fuck the Generals. Fuck the arms industry. We’ve got to start somewhere — no nukes. Love Young Fathers.” 

Among those who will risk arrest by blocking the gates are an 84-year-old SNP activist and grandmother on her birthday and a Church of Scotland Minister along with his wife and family of five.

A Scrap Trident spokesperson added: “This will truly be the Bairns Not Bombs blockade, with grannies and families among those taking a stand against the threat of use of nuclear weapons and for future generations and our planet.”

Activists will also stage an evening of party and protest outside the Ministry of Defence in Westminster from 6pm against spending £100bn on new nuclear weapons.