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Jeremy Corbyn happy for Labour to have 'difference of opinion' over Trident Jeremy Corbyn happy for Labour to have 'difference of opinion' over Trident
(34 minutes later)
Jeremy Corbyn has moved to calm tensions within the Labour party over Trident by saying that he will reach an “accommodation of some sort” which could allow members of the shadow cabinet to support the renewal of Britain’s nuclear deterrent. Jeremy Corbyn has moved to calm tensions within the Labour party over Trident by saying that he will reach an “accommodation of some sort” that could allow members of the shadow cabinet to support the renewal of Britain’s nuclear deterrent.
As Labour conference organisers meet behind closed doors in Brighton to decide whether to hold a vote on Trident, the Labour leader said he saw nothing wrong with frontbenchers expressing different views.As Labour conference organisers meet behind closed doors in Brighton to decide whether to hold a vote on Trident, the Labour leader said he saw nothing wrong with frontbenchers expressing different views.
Corbyn, a longstanding member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, told the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1: “We are going to come to an accommodation of some sort. There may end up being a difference of opinion. Is it so disastrous that politics has two opinions? Related: Labour conference: Corbyn hints he could allow shadow cabinet split on Trident - Politics live
Corbyn, a longstanding member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, told The Andrew Marr Show on BBC1: “We are going to come to an accommodation of some sort. There may end up being a difference of opinion. Is it so disastrous that politics has two opinions?
“I will do my persuasive best to bring them around to my point of view. Watch this space.”“I will do my persuasive best to bring them around to my point of view. Watch this space.”
Within minutes of Corbyn’s appearance, Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson, who strongly supports the renewal of Trident, said he expects that shadow cabinet members will be given a free vote. Within minutes of Corbyn’s appearance, Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, who strongly supports the renewal of Trident, said he expected that shadow cabinet members would be given a free vote.
Watson told Pienaar’s Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live: “You saw the interview that Jeremy gave earlier, I think it is likely to be a free vote but the shadow cabinet hasn’t taken that decision yet. It seems to be the way the debate is unfolding, doesn’t it?”Watson told Pienaar’s Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live: “You saw the interview that Jeremy gave earlier, I think it is likely to be a free vote but the shadow cabinet hasn’t taken that decision yet. It seems to be the way the debate is unfolding, doesn’t it?”
The apparent decision to allow a free vote on Trident marks a change of heart by the leadership. John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor who is Corbyn’s closest ally, told the Guardian on Saturday that a three-line whip was likely to be imposed in a vote on Trident. The apparent decision to allow a free vote on Trident marks a change of heart by the leadership. John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor and Corbyn’s closest ally, told the Guardian on Saturday that a three-line whip was likely to be imposed in a vote on Trident.
A free vote, which would allow frontbenchers to vote in a different way to Corbyn, suggests that Trident will be renewed when MPs are asked to vote on the “maingate” decision next summer, possibly in June. The combination of the vast bulk of Conservative MPs, combined with centre-ground Labour figures such as Watson and Hilary Benn, would provide enough votes to defeat Corbyn if he joins forces with the SNP’s 56 MPs to oppose Trident. A free vote, which would allow frontbenchers to vote in a different way to Corbyn, suggests Trident will be renewed when MPs are asked to vote on the “maingate” decision next summer, possibly in June. The combination of the vast bulk of Conservative MPs, combined with centre-ground Labour figures including Watson and Hilary Benn, would provide enough votes to defeat Corbyn if he joins forces with the SNP’s 56 MPs to oppose Trident.
Corbyn set out his longstanding opposition to the renewal of Trident as the Labour party’s conference arrangements committee met to decide whether to allow a debate and vote on the nuclear deterrent. The committee meets on the first Sunday of Labour conference to decide which contemporary motions should be debated. It is expected that the Trident vote will not be held until Wednesday to avoid overshadowing speeches by McDonnell on Monday and Corbyn on Tuesday.Corbyn set out his longstanding opposition to the renewal of Trident as the Labour party’s conference arrangements committee met to decide whether to allow a debate and vote on the nuclear deterrent. The committee meets on the first Sunday of Labour conference to decide which contemporary motions should be debated. It is expected that the Trident vote will not be held until Wednesday to avoid overshadowing speeches by McDonnell on Monday and Corbyn on Tuesday.
Frontbenchers have questioned the new leadership’s decision to press for a Trident vote on the grounds that the conference could endorse the status quo. Corbyn would have to win a simple majority of the conference to change the policy – a high hurdle given that trade unions hold 50% of the votes. Trade unions are divided over Trident.Frontbenchers have questioned the new leadership’s decision to press for a Trident vote on the grounds that the conference could endorse the status quo. Corbyn would have to win a simple majority of the conference to change the policy – a high hurdle given that trade unions hold 50% of the votes. Trade unions are divided over Trident.
Corbyn reached out to trade union supporters of Trident by saying that he would ringfence the costs to preserve jobs in engineering and the defence industry. He said he regards the scrapping of Trident as a natural step under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty which obliges signatories to take steps towards disarmament.But Corbyn indicated that he might be open to allowing members of the shadow cabinet, such as Benn and Watson who favour the retention of Trident. Corbyn reached out to trade union supporters of Trident by saying he would ringfence the costs to preserve jobs in engineering and the defence industry. He said he regarded the scrapping of Trident as a natural step under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, which obliges signatories to take steps towards disarmament. But Corbyn indicated he might be open to allowing members of the shadow cabinet, such as Benn and Watson who favour the retention of Trident, to support the renewal of the nuclear deterrent.
The Labour leader said: “My view is absolutely clear. We’ll have that discussion around the table at the shadow cabinet, we’ll have that discussion in the parliamentary Labour party. At the end of it we are still all going to be Labour MPs, we’re still all going to be in the same party.” The Labour leader said: “My view is absolutely clear. We’ll have that discussion around the table at the shadow cabinet. We’ll have that discussion in the parliamentary Labour party. At the end of it we are still all going to be Labour MPs, we’re still all going to be in the same party.”
Corbyn joked with Marr when he was asked whether he would impose a three-line whip which would oblige Labour frontbenchers to support his position. He said: “You are asking the most fundamental philosophical question that’s ever been asked apart from who guards the guards. The fundamental philosophical answer is we are going to have to discuss it and debate it and come to a philosophical solution to it. Corbyn joked with Marr when he was asked whether he would impose a three-line whip that would oblige Labour frontbenchers to support his position. He said: “You are asking the most fundamental philosophical question that’s ever been asked apart from who guards the guards. The fundamental philosophical answer is we are going to have to discuss it and debate it and come to a philosophical solution to it.
“But I understand colleagues’ views. I hope to persuade them that a nuclear-free world is a good thing, that fulfilling our obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and promoting a nuclear weapons convention is a good thing. They are all signed up to multilateral disarmament by the way. There are many people, military thinkers, who are very concerned and indeed opposed to Trident because they don’t see it as part of modern security or defence, because they don’t see any situation in which Trident would become an option you would think about using.”“But I understand colleagues’ views. I hope to persuade them that a nuclear-free world is a good thing, that fulfilling our obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and promoting a nuclear weapons convention is a good thing. They are all signed up to multilateral disarmament by the way. There are many people, military thinkers, who are very concerned and indeed opposed to Trident because they don’t see it as part of modern security or defence, because they don’t see any situation in which Trident would become an option you would think about using.”
Corbyn joked that he could not dictate to the conference arrangements committee what to do. He said: “Sadly the labour leader has no dictatorship over the conference arrangements committee or anything else. I think probably there are going to be a series of alternatives put there and we will see what happens there.”Corbyn joked that he could not dictate to the conference arrangements committee what to do. He said: “Sadly the labour leader has no dictatorship over the conference arrangements committee or anything else. I think probably there are going to be a series of alternatives put there and we will see what happens there.”
Dave Prentis, the general secretary of the Unison union, said that it was right not to renew Trident but added that Britain could still keep the deterrent. Prentis told the Murnaghan Programme on Sky News: “When you’ve got such disarray in our public services, our caring services in crisis, how can we afford to spend £20,000m of taxpayers’ money on replacing Trident? I’m not saying end Trident, I’m not saying nuclear disarmament. We can keep Trident running. We do not need to replace it.” Dave Prentis, the general secretary of the Unison union, said it was right not to renew Trident but added that Britain could still keep the deterrent. Prentis told the Murnaghan Programme on Sky News: “When you’ve got such disarray in our public services, our caring services in crisis, how can we afford to spend £20,000m of taxpayers’ money on replacing Trident? I’m not saying end Trident, I’m not saying nuclear disarmament. We can keep Trident running. We do not need to replace it.”