THE SNP are to force an early debate on the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system in Westminster.
The announcement made at SNP conference by the party’s leader in Westminster, Angus Robertson, will cause headaches for Jeremy Corbyn’s team. The Labour front bench is massively split on the issue and many of Corbyn’s backbenchers will undoubtedly rebel.
It follows Westminster rumours the Tories were looking to move the vote on Trident earlier to avoid making it a Holyrood issue. During his speech Robertson reaffirmed the SNP’s opposition to the “renewal of weapons of mass destruction and the enormous waste of £100 billion”.
He said: “Labour weren’t prepared to have a specific debate on Trident at their conference. I am pleased that the SNP is debating it here at our conference. I’m also happy to help Jeremy Corbyn and ensure that there is an early debate and vote at Westminster aimed at opposing Trident renewal. Hopefully Jeremy will join the SNP in the lobbies as he has often done in the past in opposing Trident, although I am not holding my breath that he can bring his colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party with him.”
Corbyn, a lifelong pacifist and CND member, has been forced to rein in his principles on nuclear weapons a little to convince Labour MPs to serve in his cabinet.
Reports suggest Vernon Coaker, shadow Northern Ireland secretary, and Kevan Jones, shadow defence minister, only took the job on the condition Labour would continue to back Trident.
Corbyn’s conference was overshadowed when seven of his front bench team criticised him after a radio interview where he said he would never ‘“push the button” and fire nuclear weapons.
Speaking after Robertson at conference, the party’s deputy leader Stewart Hosie said “the establishment” were scared the SNP might convince Labour MPs to vote against Trident.
“The Tories talking about an early vote on Trident because they are scared of the SNP making it an election issue. But I wonder what the real reason might be? Could it be because Labour changing their mind on austerity due to pressure from the SNP has caused Tory concern they might change their minds again and actually vote against Trident. Friends, whenever the vote against Trident comes we will be voting against.”
There was a slew of Westminster MPs speaking at the conference yesterday. Delegates in the hall jumped to their feet after Edinburgh MP Tommy Sheppard attacked the Scotland Bill, claiming that Cameron’s promise of more powers, “has been diluted so much it’s lost the taste of home rule completely”.
“David Cameron and David Mundell do not just have a conflict with the Scottish National Party, they have a conflict with the people of Scotland.” Sheppard said.
Dr Philippa Whitford, who said that Tory MPs in Westminster behave like children in primary 3 when the teacher’s away, said that the NHS is in much better condition in Scotland than it is in England. She went on to say that the last time she met Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt he was almost choking because he doesn’t know what he is doing. Whitford went on to say that if he did choke, her oath as a doctor meant she would have no choice but to save him.
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