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| Corbyn: UK could keep Trident submarines but without warheads | Corbyn: UK could keep Trident submarines but without warheads |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Jeremy Corbyn has suggested the UK could keep its Trident submarine fleet but without carrying nuclear warheads. | Jeremy Corbyn has suggested the UK could keep its Trident submarine fleet but without carrying nuclear warheads. |
| The Labour leader told the Andrew Marr show that protecting defence jobs was his "first priority" and there were "options" for doing this while taking a lead in global nuclear "de-escalation". | The Labour leader told the Andrew Marr show that protecting defence jobs was his "first priority" and there were "options" for doing this while taking a lead in global nuclear "de-escalation". |
| Labour, which is split over the issue of renewing Trident, has said the idea is similar to one adopted by Japan. | Labour, which is split over the issue of renewing Trident, has said the idea is similar to one adopted by Japan. |
| Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said Labour would weaken the UK's defences. | Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said Labour would weaken the UK's defences. |
| Parliament is to hold a vote later this year on whether to proceed with building successor submarines to the exist Vanguard fleet which is due to become obsolete by the end of the next decade. | |
| Live updates: Sunday's political interviews | Live updates: Sunday's political interviews |
| In the interview, Mr Corbyn also said: | In the interview, Mr Corbyn also said: |
| Mr Corbyn is at odds with many of his MPs over the future of the UK nuclear weapons system, which the government has estimated will cost £31bn to renew, and has commissioned a review led by shadow defence secretary Emily Thornberry to look at its future, likely to report in the summer. | |
| The Labour leader has been a longstanding opponent of Trident but some MPs and peers have threatened to resign if Labour reverses its decades-long support for the nuclear deterrent. | The Labour leader has been a longstanding opponent of Trident but some MPs and peers have threatened to resign if Labour reverses its decades-long support for the nuclear deterrent. |
| Mr Corbyn told the BBC that Trident was a relic from a "cold war generation" that was not capable of protecting the UK from current threats, and he did not believe David Cameron would ever contemplate using it. | Mr Corbyn told the BBC that Trident was a relic from a "cold war generation" that was not capable of protecting the UK from current threats, and he did not believe David Cameron would ever contemplate using it. |
| 'Secure world' | 'Secure world' |
| Asked, in that case, what the point of having more than one submarine on constant patrol, known as the continuous-at-sea deterrent, he said: "They don't have to have warheads on them." | Asked, in that case, what the point of having more than one submarine on constant patrol, known as the continuous-at-sea deterrent, he said: "They don't have to have warheads on them." |
| He added: "If anyone uses a nuclear weapon it is catastrophic for the whole globe... There are options there." | He added: "If anyone uses a nuclear weapon it is catastrophic for the whole globe... There are options there." |
| Mr Corbyn said Ms Thornberry's review was "very interesting" and hoped there would be a "mature debate" about the way "we protect ourselves against insecurity and bring about a more secure world". | Mr Corbyn said Ms Thornberry's review was "very interesting" and hoped there would be a "mature debate" about the way "we protect ourselves against insecurity and bring about a more secure world". |
| What is Trident for? | What is Trident for? |
| Since 1969, according to government documents, a British submarine carrying nuclear weapons has always been on patrol, gliding silently beneath the waves, somewhere in the world's oceans. | Since 1969, according to government documents, a British submarine carrying nuclear weapons has always been on patrol, gliding silently beneath the waves, somewhere in the world's oceans. |
| The logic is to deter a nuclear attack on the UK because, even if the nation's conventional defence capabilities were destroyed, the silent submarine would still be able to launch a catastrophic retaliatory strike on the aggressor, a concept known as mutually assured destruction. | The logic is to deter a nuclear attack on the UK because, even if the nation's conventional defence capabilities were destroyed, the silent submarine would still be able to launch a catastrophic retaliatory strike on the aggressor, a concept known as mutually assured destruction. |
| The submarines carry up to 16 Trident missiles, each can be fitted with a number of warheads, which can be directed at up to 12 different targets. | The submarines carry up to 16 Trident missiles, each can be fitted with a number of warheads, which can be directed at up to 12 different targets. |
| Read more about the history of the UK's nuclear deterrent | Read more about the history of the UK's nuclear deterrent |
| Union leaders have warned that scrapping Trident could devastate communities reliant on the defence industry and Mr Corbyn said he recognised the need to retain "amazing skills and technology". | Union leaders have warned that scrapping Trident could devastate communities reliant on the defence industry and Mr Corbyn said he recognised the need to retain "amazing skills and technology". |
| "The point I have always made is I recognise that if there is going to be a change in the Trident programme, the first priority has to be to protect those jobs and re-direct investment into those yards, factories and companies that would be making that material and systems to go with Trident so their jobs are protected. That is the first priority". | "The point I have always made is I recognise that if there is going to be a change in the Trident programme, the first priority has to be to protect those jobs and re-direct investment into those yards, factories and companies that would be making that material and systems to go with Trident so their jobs are protected. That is the first priority". |
| Ms Thornberry said the idea of submarines equipped with conventional ballistic missiles, but with the potential to have a nuclear capability, was a posture that had been adopted by Japan. | Ms Thornberry said the idea of submarines equipped with conventional ballistic missiles, but with the potential to have a nuclear capability, was a posture that had been adopted by Japan. |
| She told the Daily Politics that it was "certainly one option that is available to us and one thing that needs to be looked at". | She told the Daily Politics that it was "certainly one option that is available to us and one thing that needs to be looked at". |
| Supporters of Trident have insisted policy can only be changed at the Labour party conference. | Supporters of Trident have insisted policy can only be changed at the Labour party conference. |
| Lord West, the former First Sea Lord who was a defence minister under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, told Radio 4's Broadcasting House it was "trite" of Mr Corbyn to say he didn't like nuclear weapons since nobody did and it was in the UK's interest to keep them for reasons of "realpolitik". | Lord West, the former First Sea Lord who was a defence minister under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, told Radio 4's Broadcasting House it was "trite" of Mr Corbyn to say he didn't like nuclear weapons since nobody did and it was in the UK's interest to keep them for reasons of "realpolitik". |
| But former minister and senior backbencher Keith Vaz said he had changed his mind and now saw no point in retaining Trident. | But former minister and senior backbencher Keith Vaz said he had changed his mind and now saw no point in retaining Trident. |
| "I think Jeremy Corbyn has persuaded me. He has made it very clear when he is prime minister that he is not going to be able to use these weapons, so what is the point in having them?" he told Russia Today. | "I think Jeremy Corbyn has persuaded me. He has made it very clear when he is prime minister that he is not going to be able to use these weapons, so what is the point in having them?" he told Russia Today. |
| 'Reaching out' | 'Reaching out' |
| Mr Corbyn, who outlined plans on Sunday to cap levels of executive pay and stop firms from paying dividends which don't pay a living wage, rejected suggestions he was only talking to people who agreed with him and not engaging with the rest of the public. | Mr Corbyn, who outlined plans on Sunday to cap levels of executive pay and stop firms from paying dividends which don't pay a living wage, rejected suggestions he was only talking to people who agreed with him and not engaging with the rest of the public. |
| He said he wanted to "reach out to everybody", including those who voted Conservative at the last election, to address what he said were the "grotesque levels of inequality", a crisis in affordable housing and the "atomisation" of the health service. | He said he wanted to "reach out to everybody", including those who voted Conservative at the last election, to address what he said were the "grotesque levels of inequality", a crisis in affordable housing and the "atomisation" of the health service. |
| He said that he backed repealing legislation passed by the Thatcher government in the 1980s banning so-called secondary strike action, where unions walk out in sympathy with other workers already on strike. | He said that he backed repealing legislation passed by the Thatcher government in the 1980s banning so-called secondary strike action, where unions walk out in sympathy with other workers already on strike. |
| Such action, he said, was "legal in other countries" and asked whether he would legalise it, he replied "yes, of course". | Such action, he said, was "legal in other countries" and asked whether he would legalise it, he replied "yes, of course". |
| "Sympathy action is legal in most other countries and it should also be legal here," he said. "Nobody willingly goes on strike. They go on strike as an ultimate weapon. The number is actually very small. it's an ultimate weapon that is used." | "Sympathy action is legal in most other countries and it should also be legal here," he said. "Nobody willingly goes on strike. They go on strike as an ultimate weapon. The number is actually very small. it's an ultimate weapon that is used." |
| The Conservatives said Mr Corbyn's pronouncements showed Labour were a threat to "the security of every working family". | The Conservatives said Mr Corbyn's pronouncements showed Labour were a threat to "the security of every working family". |
| "Labour would weaken Britain's defences by having a nuclear deterrent without any nuclear weapons, and would weaken our economy by changing the law to increase the number of disruptive strikes," said Mr Fallon. | "Labour would weaken Britain's defences by having a nuclear deterrent without any nuclear weapons, and would weaken our economy by changing the law to increase the number of disruptive strikes," said Mr Fallon. |