With chants of “Stop the Bombs” echoing across Parliament Square and banners waving outside RAF Marham, Britain is confronting one of its most contentious military decisions in a generation. The UK’s agreement to purchase US-made nuclear-capable fighter jets has ignited mass protests, reignited Cold War anxieties, and drawn fierce backlash from anti-nuclear advocates who say the move makes the country more vulnerable, not safer.
The uproar follows Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement at the NATO summit in The Hague that Britain will acquire 12 American-made F-35A stealth jets. These aircraft are capable of delivering the B61-12 tactical nuclear bomb — a weapon significantly more powerful than those used in Hiroshima. For many, the deal signals a return of US nuclear arms to British soil for the first time since 2008, when such warheads were removed from RAF Lakenheath.
According to The Guardian, Starmer defended the move as necessary in a world of “radical uncertainty.” He said the purchase would boost national defense and support the British defense industry. Yet for critics, the announcement bypassed democratic debate and revived fears of a militarized future.
Sophie Bolt, General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), described the decision as “a hopeless situation,” arguing that it strips the public of any meaningful protection while undermining sovereignty.
RAF Marham will house the new F-35As, while Cold War-era storage vaults at nearby RAF Lakenheath — once home to US bombs — may again play a role in nuclear logistics. The return of nuclear assets has made these bases a focal point for nationwide protests.
Demonstrators gathered outside RAF Marham on June 28 under the CND banner, condemning the government for expanding its arsenal without public consultation. “We must stand up to a government that is cutting welfare and public services to rearm without any public debate,” CND said in a statement.
Protests have also spread beyond military bases. Hundreds rallied outside the US Embassy in London to condemn the joint Israeli-American strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The demonstration, co-organized by Stop the War Coalition and CND, saw protesters wave Iranian and Palestinian flags and chant, “Free Palestine” and “Shame on Trump and Starmer.”
John Rees, co-founder of Stop the War Coalition, addressed the crowd, saying, “No one has the right to change the Iranian government except the Iranian people.” He warned against repeating past military interventions in the Middle East that had devastating consequences.
At the same rally, Sophie Bolt of CND warned of the catastrophic potential if strikes on Iranian facilities triggered a radioactive leak. “It could spread all over Iran and probably other countries, poisoning people, poisoning lands, poisoning generations. This is absolutely reckless,” she said.
According to BBC Turkiye, the current wave of protests recalls scenes from 2018, when more than 250,000 demonstrators flooded London to oppose then-President Donald Trump’s visit, flying the infamous “Baby Trump” blimp over Parliament.
Critics of the F-35 nuclear deal have also highlighted the cost. According to The Guardian, Kirsten Bayes of the Campaign Against Arms Trade said: “We are looking at an outlay of £700m for these jets, plus the same amount again for their maintenance. When we are being told we have to cut back on the money we give to disabled people, and yet we can find these vast sums for aircraft, that is really hypocritical.”
Nuclear researchers and disarmament experts have also weighed in. According to the Federation of American Scientists, the B61-12 bombs’ presence in Europe and potentially the UK reflects NATO’s growing reliance on nuclear deterrence. Critics argue that this posture undermines nonproliferation goals and sends a hypocritical message to non-Western nations like Iran, whose nuclear programs are subject to heavy sanctions and scrutiny.
Further demonstrations are reportedly planned in Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, and again at RAF Lakenheath. According to The Guardian, Defence Secretary John Healey rejected comparisons to Cold War-era nuclear brinkmanship and insisted the deal is “entirely consistent” with the UK’s obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
