David Kirkland's Statement

At 7am this Saturday I’m setting out on a 3 day, 150 mile run. I plan to run from my home in Kielder village (3 miles south of the Scottish border) to Faslane (north of Glasgow), with overnight stops in a Peebles B&B on the Saterday night, and Glasgow on Sunday. Each days running will be split into 3 blocks of about 3 hours each, and I will be carrying a rucksack with the minimum essentials (toothbrush, toilet paper, waterproofs, elastoplasts, spare socks, money for food & drink).

I am running both to demonstrate peacefully at Faslane nuclear base, and to remind people what can be achieved by will power.

I’m not a natural athlete - I was never picked for my school athletics teams, but after starting out jogging, I have gradually built up stamina over the years and am confident I can do this. I have been training with this in mind since I had the idea in November, I could have just driven up to make a protest but I would really like to draw attention to the important debate over the future of the Trident defence system and nuclear weapons in the UK.

A 150 mile run will be a real test of my willpower. The whole point of the run is really to remind people of their own capacity for will power, and the results it achieve. I believe every one of us owes it to ourselves and our families to sincerely apply their will power in order to find out the facts, and then to act for what they believe to be right. This debate is so important – any decision made should really reflect the wishes and beliefs of the country as a whole and not just a few politicians. It only takes a few minutes to write to your MP and let them know how you would like them to vote. Personally, I believe nuclear weapons degrade and hold back our culture and international relations.