THE SNP have called on the UK Government to abandon its renewal of Trident after reports that the armed forces are facing further budget cuts.

Reports yesterday suggested that the army could lose up to 12,000 troops and 1000 royal marines, with orders for new equipment also coming under scrutiny.

Tory MPs are now lobbying for Trident costs to be removed from the defence budget.

It follows planned cuts to defence bases across Scotland and a reduction in the number of Type 26 frigates due to be built on the Clyde.

The SNP urged Theresa May's Government to invest in conventional defence forces, rather than making more cuts to pay for the escalating cost of new nuclear weapons.

Stewart McDonald, SNP Defence Spokesperson at Westminster, said: “These reports show yet again the chaos at the heart of the Tory government — as the new Defence Secretary faces up to severe budget cuts, his colleagues threaten to resign, and Tory MPs lobby to remove Trident from the defence budget.

“The Tories simply cannot be trusted to deliver for our armed forces — and the latest reported cuts come on top of the plans to slash the defence estate in Scotland.

“The simple solution is to scrap the unjustifiable and unsustainable £200 billion Trident renewal plans altogether.

“Make no mistake, our armed forces are suffering as a result of the Tories' nuclear obsession. Rather than leaving our conventional forces out in the cold, they should urgently scrap Trident and invest in the areas that really need it.”