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.
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Lawmakers voted strongly on Monday to renew Britain’s ageing nuclear weapons system, a multi-billion-pound project regarded as key to maintaining the country’s status as a world power following its vote to leave the European Union.
Making her first statement in the House of Commons since becoming Prime Minister, Mrs May told lawmakers that it would be an act of “gross irresponsibility” not to replace the nation’s aging fleet of nuclear-armed submarines at a time when threats were increasing rather than diminishing.
The fleet will be replaced over the next 35 years at an estimated initial cost of £35 billion (41 billion euros, $46 billion).
MP for Stroud Neil Carmichael has voted in parliament for the renewal of Trident, arguing the United Kingdom must have an “ultimate guarantee” of its national security.
Mr Reed, and Barrow MP John Woodcock joined dozens of Labour rebels who defied their leader by voting with the government to back renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system.
Gainsborough MP Sir Edward Leigh.
The SNP said Scotland’s decision against renewal should be respected.
“As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, we have an important role to play in global security and our membership of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is committed to arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation”.
“If we want a nuclear weapons-free world, this is an opportunity where we can start down that road”, Corbyn said ahead of Monday’s vote.
Scottish Conservatives MSP Jackson Carlaw said: “For all but one of Scotland’s MPs to vote against Trident today is unrepresentative of Scottish public opinion, which is at the very least divided on retaining Trident”.
May’s Conservatives made replacing the four submarines – the Vanguard, Victorious, Vigilant and Vengeance – with four new ones a promise in last year’s election.
Meanwhile 58 of the Parliament’s 59 Scottish MPs opposed Trident renewal, calling nuclear weapons “immoral”.
Pressed whether she would be prepared to launch a nuclear attack and kill 100,000 innocent people, May said: “Yes”.
She replied: “Yes… the whole point of a deterrent is that our enemies need to know that we would be prepared to”.
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Mr Reed said: “I urge all colleagues on the Labour frontbench tonight to respect the democratic processes of the Labour Party, to respect the conference decision of the Labour Party, to vote with the established policy of the Labour Party”.
