Following last night’s vote where Labour MPs defied a leadership diktat to stay away from
an SNP debate on Trident, the SNP has said Labour is “all at sea” on defence.
The Financial Times has reported that Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn did not meet his
Shadow Defence Secretary until minutes before he responded to the Strategic Defence
and Security Review. The Financial Times has said that Mr Corbyn’s response, which
largely ignored the advice of the Shadow Defence Secretary, was described as “shambolic”
by one Labour MP.
Commenting, CUNNINGHAME SOUTH SNP candidate Ruth Maguire said:
“The Defence Review confirmed this week that the cost of renewing Trident has gone up
by billions and that a further £10 billion will be set aside for fear that the budget will
continue to rise – yet Labour’s response has been described by his own party as
‘catastrophic’.
“In the SNP led Trident debate last night Labour still had no idea what their position was
on something that is swallowing up an ever growing share of the defence budget – and of
overall government spending. Many Labour MPs decided to vote with the Tories, some
voted with the SNP and many more didn’t even bother to turn up.
“We have Tory Ministers rushing to replace Trident at any cost and a Labour opposition
that doesn’t have the backbone to turn up and oppose weapons of mass destruction.
Labour is all at sea on this issue, but amid the confusion one thing is crystal clear – Labour
cannot be relied upon to oppose a new generation of nuclear weapons being dumped in
Scotland, and only the SNP will always oppose nuclear weapons and stand up to the
morally bankrupt decisions of this Tory government.”
