SNP members are urging the party to hold a debate at next month’s annual conference on a fixed timetable for the removal of Trident from Scottish shores following an independence vote in a new referendum.

More than six branches and affiliated organisations have said they will submit and support a motion that will for the first time set out to establish a deadline for the axing of the nuclear weapons system from the Clyde. Some favour a three-year deadline, while others favour five years.

SNP CND, convener Bill Ramsay told The National: “ At least six branches and affiliated organisations have told us they are submitting the motion for debate at the SNP 2020 Annual Conference.

“I say six because we have been informed that some others are still to hold their branch meetings. This means that the final number who submit a motion may be greater.”

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Ramsay added: “SNP CND are of the view that the foundations of policy development within the SNP must be member-led. It follows that a number of branches have already debated the motion and have concluded that they support the motion.”

He continued: “Inevitably, and rightly, this approach is not uniform, meaning that the timescale in some of the motions will vary a little.

“Some branches reckon that Trident should be gone from Scotland within three years of an independence vote, others five years. The key is that the sovereign decision making body of the SNP, its annual conference, will make the final decision.”

If a motion is passed, it would become a central SNP policy ahead of the Holyrood election, expected to be fought on the issue of independence.

The new commitment would go further than the Scottish Government position ahead of the 2014 referendum, which pledged to remove Trident but did not give a timescale. It would also update the SNP’s current policy which says the process of removing nuclear weapons should be done “speedily”.

The motion sent to party branches drafted by SNP CND and seen by the Sunday National in the summer says: “Conference reaffirms its policy, the Roadmap for Trident Removal, as accepted in 2018.

“Conference therefore sets SNP policy a timescale of three calendar years after the declaration of the result of a successful Scottish independence referendum for the removal of the Trident missile system and their launch platform, the Vanguard-class submarines, as a first step.”

Ramsay previously said setting the timescale is vital as he believed the UK could put pressure on an independent Scotland to seek to use Faslane as a base for its new Dreadnought submarines in the coming years.

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He said: “The three-year timescale is ambitious but SNP CND believe it is technically feasible. We would expect the motion to be discussed widely in the party, and given that SNP CND believe important decisions be taken democratically, the final wording would be for the party members to decide.

“The rUK will want to extend the time frame with the aim of having the replacements to the Vanguard-class subs, the Dreadnoughts, be based on the Clyde, certainly for over five years, and then aim for the lifetime of the Dreadnought-class boats which is into the second half of the century.”

There has been a debate about whether the Faslane base should be rented out to the UK by an independent Scotland to generate finances for public spending. Writer Pat Kane argued Faslane must not be rented out, though others have suggestion the idea should be considered.

A process for selecting motions is ongoing for the SNP conference, which will take place virtually from November 28 to 30.

A poll last week support for independence at 58%, a record level.