UK Labour downplays Scottish wing’s vote for scrapping Trident

The Scottish Labour party has voted against renewing Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons system in a move which has been downplayed by the UK Labour party.

On Monday, Shadow Secretary of State for Defense Maria Eagle told the state-run BBC that the wider Labour party’s defense policy is determined at a national level and that it still believes in renewing the program.

She added that the Scottish vote was merely a contribution to the general debate and input into the UK’s policy-making process. “This does not change UK Labour party policy. Defense is not a devolved matter so Labour party policy on this must be set at a national level."

On Sunday, in a move reportedly supported by UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the Scottish Labour overwhelmingly backed the motion opposing the renewal of  Trident, describing nuclear weapons as “a mortal threat to humanity’s survival” and “massively expensive.” 

"I am conducting a review that will be a serious one, that will be based on evidence, it will have extensive consultation and will be taking views from across the Labour movement and Labour voters," Eagle noted. She also said that Corbyn had appointed her as shadow defense secretary with the knowledge of her disagreement on the subject of nuclear disarmament.

“I am opposed to the use of nuclear weapons. I am opposed to the holding of nuclear weapons. I want to see a nuclear-free world. I believe it is possible,” said Corbyn during an interview with the BBC shortly after he was elected.

The general secretary of the UK’s Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Kate Hudson, told a Press TV correspondent in London that “the trade unions voted against Trident" and so did "70 percent of the constituency delegates."

“Some years ago when perhaps Britain wasn’t in difficult financial straits, most people didn’t even think about Trident. But now when people are facing very very serious cuts in council budgets, in welfare payments, in jobs, in investment, and so on... in housing, education for students, and others... now it becomes a real issue." 

According to a report, the overall costs for Britain to replace and maintain its controversial nuclear program stand at around £167 billion ($256 billion).

The UK’s shadow international development secretary, Diane Abbott, says that Labour supporters in the rest of the UK would eventually follow Scotland’s lead and vote to block the renewal of the Trident.

“I believe that the views of rank and file members, in the rest of the UK, will be found to reflect the views of Scottish colleagues,” she said.

The Trident program, designed in the 1980s and in service since the mid 1990s, is a system of four Vanguard-class submarines armed with Trident II D-5 ballistic missiles, and can deliver thermonuclear warheads from multiple independently-targetable reentry vehicles.

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