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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Scottish Labour vote to scrap Trident | Scottish Labour vote to scrap Trident |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Scottish Labour party delegates have backed a vote to scrap the UK's Trident nuclear missile system, which is based at Faslane naval base on the Clyde. | Scottish Labour party delegates have backed a vote to scrap the UK's Trident nuclear missile system, which is based at Faslane naval base on the Clyde. |
| A motion at the party's conference in Perth calling for the UK's nuclear deterrent not to be renewed was supported by an overwhelming majority. | A motion at the party's conference in Perth calling for the UK's nuclear deterrent not to be renewed was supported by an overwhelming majority. |
| Both party members and unions voted 70% in favour of the motion. | Both party members and unions voted 70% in favour of the motion. |
| It means Labour now holds different positions on the issue north and south of the border. | It means Labour now holds different positions on the issue north and south of the border. |
| However, UK leader Jeremy Corbyn supports not renewing the system. | However, UK leader Jeremy Corbyn supports not renewing the system. |
| Analysis by BBC Scotland Political Editor Brian Taylor | |
| The Scottish Labour party now has a policy of opposition to Trident. The extent of the vote makes that verdict incontestable. It will permit Labour members to counter the SNP - who have a long-standing anti-Trident position. | |
| But in practice, what next? Scottish Labour routinely opposed nuclear deterrence in conference votes throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with zero effect. | |
| Might that change now? Not in the short term. The replacement of Trident is a Westminster decision and the Conservatives have a Westminster majority. | |
| Beyond that? Might Labour throughout the UK now adopt an anti-nuclear stance? Certainly it has a leader in Jeremy Corbyn who favours such an approach. | |
| Still, as one seasoned party observer noted in Perth, Scottish Labour now has a supporter of multilateral disarmament leading a party which has endorsed unilateralism. It is conceivable, said the observer, that the UK party ends up offering the mirror image. | |
| Read more from Brian Taylor | |
| Mr Corbyn's backing for unilateral disarmament puts him at odds with Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, who instead supports the removal of nuclear weapons on a multilateral basis. | Mr Corbyn's backing for unilateral disarmament puts him at odds with Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, who instead supports the removal of nuclear weapons on a multilateral basis. |
| But Labour's only surviving Scottish MP insisted the party could have different policies on renewing Trident north and south of the border. | But Labour's only surviving Scottish MP insisted the party could have different policies on renewing Trident north and south of the border. |
| Shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said moves to make the party in Scotland more autonomous meant it could "have a different position on anything it wants". | Shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said moves to make the party in Scotland more autonomous meant it could "have a different position on anything it wants". |
| Scottish activists made Trident a priority issue for a policy vote at the conference after it received the most votes of the 17 issues proposed for debate. | Scottish activists made Trident a priority issue for a policy vote at the conference after it received the most votes of the 17 issues proposed for debate. |
| Nuclear non-proliferation | Nuclear non-proliferation |
| The conference debate was opened by Stephen Low, of Unison and Glasgow Southside Constituency Labour Party, who said renewing Trident "is something that we do not need and cannot afford". | The conference debate was opened by Stephen Low, of Unison and Glasgow Southside Constituency Labour Party, who said renewing Trident "is something that we do not need and cannot afford". |
| Mr Low said: "Its purpose is to detonate a nuclear warhead above a city, killing everyone in its radius. | Mr Low said: "Its purpose is to detonate a nuclear warhead above a city, killing everyone in its radius. |
| "There are other facts about Trident, but that's the central one, and one we should never forget." | "There are other facts about Trident, but that's the central one, and one we should never forget." |
| He added: "When it comes to the real threats to this country, things like terrorism, things like cyber attacks, things like climate change, Trident is utterly, utterly useless." | He added: "When it comes to the real threats to this country, things like terrorism, things like cyber attacks, things like climate change, Trident is utterly, utterly useless." |
| "We shouldn't want Trident renewal even if it were free, but of course it is not free, it comes at an utterly bewildering cost." | "We shouldn't want Trident renewal even if it were free, but of course it is not free, it comes at an utterly bewildering cost." |
| Unison, the UK's largest trade union, is committed to getting rid of the nuclear deterrent. | Unison, the UK's largest trade union, is committed to getting rid of the nuclear deterrent. |
| During the debate, Davina Rankin from the union told delegates there was no military argument for it and no moral case. | During the debate, Davina Rankin from the union told delegates there was no military argument for it and no moral case. |
| Pat Rafferty, from Unite, which represents Faslane workers, said Britain should take lead in nuclear non-proliferation. | Pat Rafferty, from Unite, which represents Faslane workers, said Britain should take lead in nuclear non-proliferation. |
| Mr Rafferty said the argument for non-renewal must go "hand in hand" with a jobs diversification plan and the billions saved from Trident could help workers and be used against a "crisis" in industry and the public sector. | Mr Rafferty said the argument for non-renewal must go "hand in hand" with a jobs diversification plan and the billions saved from Trident could help workers and be used against a "crisis" in industry and the public sector. |
| GMB Scotland, which also represents shipyard and defence workers, made clear its support for renewal. | GMB Scotland, which also represents shipyard and defence workers, made clear its support for renewal. |
| The union's Gary Smith told the conference the "glaring omission" from the debate was what alternative jobs would be for those working on Trident. | The union's Gary Smith told the conference the "glaring omission" from the debate was what alternative jobs would be for those working on Trident. |
| Mr Smith said: "This debate is a nonsense and frankly an utter indulgence." | Mr Smith said: "This debate is a nonsense and frankly an utter indulgence." |
| He said the GMB was standing against "Alice in Wonderland politics". | He said the GMB was standing against "Alice in Wonderland politics". |
| MSP Jackie Baillie, whose Dumbarton constituency includes the naval base, said: "Faslane is the biggest single-site employer in Scotland. More than a quarter of West Dunbartonshire's full-time workforce are employed there in good quality, well-paid jobs." | MSP Jackie Baillie, whose Dumbarton constituency includes the naval base, said: "Faslane is the biggest single-site employer in Scotland. More than a quarter of West Dunbartonshire's full-time workforce are employed there in good quality, well-paid jobs." |
| She hit out at the SNP, who want to move the Trident submarines from the Clyde, describing this stance as "nimbyism on a national scale and the worst kind of gesture politics". | She hit out at the SNP, who want to move the Trident submarines from the Clyde, describing this stance as "nimbyism on a national scale and the worst kind of gesture politics". |
| South of Scotland region MSP Claudia Beamish told delegates there was a firm commitment to protect defence workers' jobs regardless of Trident renewal. | South of Scotland region MSP Claudia Beamish told delegates there was a firm commitment to protect defence workers' jobs regardless of Trident renewal. |
| Scottish Labour suffered a devastating defeat in May's general election, with the party losing 40 of its 41 seats to the SNP, which has pledged to remove nuclear weapons from Scottish waters. | Scottish Labour suffered a devastating defeat in May's general election, with the party losing 40 of its 41 seats to the SNP, which has pledged to remove nuclear weapons from Scottish waters. |
| Analysis by BBC Scotland political reporter Philip Sim | |
| Delegates seemed to thoroughly enjoy a lengthy debate, which featured impassioned arguments from both sides. | |
| But the vocal reception made it clear that the bulk of those in the hall in Perth were behind the motion to oppose Trident. | |
| The result was almost a formality, with delegates cheering as the margin of victory was read out. | |
| In a way this may not be hugely surprising; prior to devolution, Labour conferences north of the border regularly voted against the nuclear deterrent. | |
| But this was a significant moment for the autonomy of Scottish Labour, as a distinct party from the UK-wide movement. | |
| Not only is it taking a stance on matters reserved to Westminster, there is now clear policy water between the two parties - although leader Jeremy Corbyn will actually be happier than most about this. | |
| As an avowed opponent of Trident, he may well use today's vote to put pressure on party members south of the border to follow suit. | |
| The reaction of Kezia Dugdale, who all but sat on her hands throughout the debate, will be something else entirely. | |
| She used the weekend to set out her stall as the leader of a separate, distinct Scottish Labour party - but as this vote shows, it is a party which is not going to let her have everything her own way. | |
| Where do the parties stand on Trident renewal? | Where do the parties stand on Trident renewal? |
| Conservative leader and Prime Minister David Cameron has always maintained the UK needs to keep its nuclear weapons, calling it as "insurance policy" against attacks. Replacing Trident was a Tory manifesto pledge in the general election. | Conservative leader and Prime Minister David Cameron has always maintained the UK needs to keep its nuclear weapons, calling it as "insurance policy" against attacks. Replacing Trident was a Tory manifesto pledge in the general election. |
| Labour has supported Trident renewal, saying it has been a "cornerstone" of peace and security for nearly 50 years - but that policy is now in doubt after the election of long-time opponent Jeremy Corbyn as party leader. He says the issue will form part of their defence review, but has also said that even if there were a replacement system, he would never use them as PM. | Labour has supported Trident renewal, saying it has been a "cornerstone" of peace and security for nearly 50 years - but that policy is now in doubt after the election of long-time opponent Jeremy Corbyn as party leader. He says the issue will form part of their defence review, but has also said that even if there were a replacement system, he would never use them as PM. |
| The SNP, which now has 56 MPs in the House of Commons, opposes Trident renewal. During the election campaign it described Trident as "unusable and indefensible - and the plans to renew it are ludicrous on both defence and financial grounds". | The SNP, which now has 56 MPs in the House of Commons, opposes Trident renewal. During the election campaign it described Trident as "unusable and indefensible - and the plans to renew it are ludicrous on both defence and financial grounds". |
| The Lib Dems, who insisted on no final decision being taken while they were in coalition, have always been sceptical about a like-for-like replacement and insisted on a value for money review. They back a "step down the nuclear ladder" with a smaller nuclear weapons system providing a "minimal yet credible" deterrent. | The Lib Dems, who insisted on no final decision being taken while they were in coalition, have always been sceptical about a like-for-like replacement and insisted on a value for money review. They back a "step down the nuclear ladder" with a smaller nuclear weapons system providing a "minimal yet credible" deterrent. |
| Read more about Trident renewal here | Read more about Trident renewal here |