Scots MPs line up against Trident ahead of key vote via The Herald

THE SNP has warned of a Brexit-style backlash if Westminster imposes another generation of nuclear weapons on the Clyde against Scotland’s wishes.

David Cameron yesterday confirmed the crunch vote on the £200bn successor programme to Trident would be on July 18.

Speaking at a Nato summit in Warsaw, the Prime Minister said the Commons would be asked to back the renewal of all four nuclear submarines capable of providing around-the-clock cover.

[…]

In parallel with the Brexit vote, most UK MPs support renewal, while most Scots MPs do not.

The 54 current and two former SNP MPs are opposed, as is Labour’s Ian Murray.

LibDem Alistair Carmichael has said he wants a smaller scale replacement, leaving only the Tory Scottish Secretary David Mundell backing a like-for-like successor.

Recent polls show most Scots also oppose renewal, once don’t knows are excluded.

Scottish Labour opposed renewal at its conference last year, but the powerful GMB union wants to press ahead to save the skilled jobs tied to Faslane.

CND will stage a mass lobby of MPs at Westminster on Wednesday.

SNP MSP Bill Kidd, a long-time anti-nuclear campaigner, said: “David Cameron has confirmed our worst fears — that the Tories are set to press ahead with an early vote on a new generation of Trident nuclear weapons.

[…]

SNP MP Douglas Chapman added: “It is particularly galling that the UK government plans to dump this nuclear arsenal on the Clyde for the next 50 years despite overwhelming opposition from the Scottish Government and Parliament.”

The BBC reported on Friday that, despite Corbyn’s opposition to Trident renewal, Labour’s long-awaited defence review will leave the door open to a future nuclear deterrent.

Plaid Cymru, the SDLP and Greens also oppose renewal.

Read more at Scots MPs line up against Trident ahead of key vote 

This entry was posted in *English and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply