It is an act of faithlessness to claim weapons of mass destruction provide protection, says Catholic peace movement as MPs vote overwhelmingly in favour of renewing the UK’s Trident nuclear weapons system by 472 to 117 on Monday.
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Ahead of the vote, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “SNP MPs will vote against the renewal of Trident and I hope Labour MPs will do the same”.
“I’m not making the decision that kills millions of innocent people”, said Corbyn.
THE SNP MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath joined an anti-nuclear protest in Kelty on Saturday.
In her first address to the House of Commons since taking office last week following the European Union referendum, May said it would be an “act of gross irresponsibility” to abandon the nuclear deterrent.
“And it would be a gross irresponsibility to lose the ability to meet such threats by discarding the ultimate insurance against those risks in the future. We must instead do our utmost to maintain public support for a credible deterrent, in this we must never falter and never fail”.
“We can not compromise on our national security”.
“We can not outsource the grave responsibility we shoulder for keeping our people safe”. And we can not abandon our ultimate safeguard out of misplaced idealism.
It is believed that with or without the Labour Leader’s vote the motion to endorse the £31 billion Trident renewal plan will pass and the new generation of nuclear submarines will be in service before 2030.
Mr Watson acknowledged the vote was “partisan political game-playing” but described abstaining as an “abdication of responsibility” as Labour splits came to the fore.
Simon Hart and Stephen Crabb were among the overwhelming majority to vote to replace the Trident missile carrying submarines in a project likely to cost more than £31bn.
Opponents of Trident accused May of generating the debate so early into her leadership of the country to take advantage of the civil war now engulfing the main opposition Labour Party.
Nuclear disarmament has been a lifelong cause for beleaguered party leader Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran socialist who is being challenged for the top job by two Labour legislators.
Islwyn MP Chris Evans was not able to attend the vote.
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But John Woodcock, the Labour MP for Barrow, where the submarines will be built, told Mrs May it remained “steadfastly” the party’s policy to retain the deterrent and many opposition MPs would “do the right thing”, despite Mr Corbyn’s unilateralist position.
