Labour MPs defy Jeremy Corbyn on Trident vote

The Scottish National Party tabled motion to end the British Government’s investment in four submarines carrying nuclear warheads.

The motion came just 24 hours after the Government pledged to renew the weapons system by replacing the current Vanguard class submarines with four more when they need to come out of service.

The anti-war Labour leader told MPs to abstain from the vote, but Mary Creagh, Labour MP for Wakefield and Kevin Barron, Rother Valley, were among 14 who voted with the Conservative Party against the SNP.

She was joined by ex-leadership contender Liz Kendall and former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie who wanted to demonstrate their belief in a nuclear deterrent.

There were also six Labour MPs backed the SNP proposal, a position in line with Mr Corbyn’s personal thinking but against official Labour policy.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell branded the SNP vote “stunt” and had also asked people to abstain.

The SNP motion was defeated 330 to 64, majority 266.

Labour MPs in Cumbria, John Woodcock and Jamie Reed who voted with the Government, both represent areas where a great deal of the local population work at BAE Systems, based in Barrow.

The town’s shipyard will build the Royal Navy’s Vanguard Class and will also construct their replacements.

Barrow-in-Furness MP John Woodcock, who earlier in the day put submarine shaped leaflets on MPs doors in an attempt to make them back Trident renewal, was allowed to continually call the SNP members ‘robots’ during the debate.

He was told it was not customary Parliamentary language by Deputy Speaker Eleanor Laing but said she would ‘not call him out’ because he could have referred to a ‘high functioning and intelligent robot’, and assumed that was his meaning.

SNP MP John Nicolson had asked: “Can we have some clarification on whether the charming expression ‘robot’ is parliamentary language or not?”