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| Labour pushes for answers on failed Trident nuclear test | Labour pushes for answers on failed Trident nuclear test |
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| Labour has urged Theresa May to explain what she knew about a failed test of the Trident nuclear missile system just before a crucial parliamentary vote on whether it should be renewed, saying continued silence will fuel worries about “a cover-up”. | Labour has urged Theresa May to explain what she knew about a failed test of the Trident nuclear missile system just before a crucial parliamentary vote on whether it should be renewed, saying continued silence will fuel worries about “a cover-up”. |
| The party was expected to push for an urgent question in the House of Commons on Monday. Nia Griffith, the shadow defence secretary, insisted Labour was not requesting that any defence secrets be compromised. | The party was expected to push for an urgent question in the House of Commons on Monday. Nia Griffith, the shadow defence secretary, insisted Labour was not requesting that any defence secrets be compromised. |
| “We’re not asking for any inappropriate details to be revealed,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “We just want a clear and honest picture. We need to know first of all what happened, because all we’ve got at the moment is speculation and newspaper reports.” | “We’re not asking for any inappropriate details to be revealed,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “We just want a clear and honest picture. We need to know first of all what happened, because all we’ve got at the moment is speculation and newspaper reports.” |
| Griffith said the prime minister should be “more open and transparent” about the failed test reported by the Sunday Times. | Griffith said the prime minister should be “more open and transparent” about the failed test reported by the Sunday Times. |
| In June an unarmed Trident II D5 missile malfunctioned when launched from the British submarine HMS Vengeance off the coast of Florida. It may have veered back towards the US rather than heading in the direction of west Africa. | In June an unarmed Trident II D5 missile malfunctioned when launched from the British submarine HMS Vengeance off the coast of Florida. It may have veered back towards the US rather than heading in the direction of west Africa. |
| Weeks after the test, and shortly after May replaced David Cameron as prime minister, MPs voted overwhelmingly to spend up to £40bn on replacing Trident. | Weeks after the test, and shortly after May replaced David Cameron as prime minister, MPs voted overwhelmingly to spend up to £40bn on replacing Trident. |
| Demands for more details about the malfunction have come from Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, and Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish National party leader and Scotland’s first minister, who both oppose renewing Trident. | |
| Interviewed on Sunday on BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show, May declined four times to say what she knew about the test and when she knew. | Interviewed on Sunday on BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show, May declined four times to say what she knew about the test and when she knew. |
| While expressing “absolute faith” in Trident, she refused to go into any details about the incident, which the government said it could not explain for “obvious national security reasons”. | While expressing “absolute faith” in Trident, she refused to go into any details about the incident, which the government said it could not explain for “obvious national security reasons”. |
| Griffith told Today that previous Trident tests had been covered in official press releases, meaning there was no reason why the failed one could not also have been publicised. | Griffith told Today that previous Trident tests had been covered in official press releases, meaning there was no reason why the failed one could not also have been publicised. |
| There was “absolutely no reason why the prime minister couldn’t have been quite clear when she knew about the incident, particularly as she would have been preparing for a major speech on Trident”, Griffith said. “She must remember if she was told before or after that speech. | There was “absolutely no reason why the prime minister couldn’t have been quite clear when she knew about the incident, particularly as she would have been preparing for a major speech on Trident”, Griffith said. “She must remember if she was told before or after that speech. |
| “If she could be more open and transparent, I think people would be very pleased to hear that. At the moment they just feel there’s a cover-up … We are asking what happened, and what the MoD has done since to make sure that things have been put right.” | “If she could be more open and transparent, I think people would be very pleased to hear that. At the moment they just feel there’s a cover-up … We are asking what happened, and what the MoD has done since to make sure that things have been put right.” |
| Asked whether she believed news of the failed test might have changed the result of the renewal vote, Griffith said: “Until we know exactly what happened it’s absolutely pointless in trying to speculate what might or might not have happened [with the vote].” | Asked whether she believed news of the failed test might have changed the result of the renewal vote, Griffith said: “Until we know exactly what happened it’s absolutely pointless in trying to speculate what might or might not have happened [with the vote].” |
| Corbyn said on Sunday that it appeared May chose not to inform parliament about a “pretty catastrophic error”. | Corbyn said on Sunday that it appeared May chose not to inform parliament about a “pretty catastrophic error”. |
| “Whilst it wasn’t armed, goodness knows what the consequence of that could have been, I think we need a serious discussion about that,” he said. | “Whilst it wasn’t armed, goodness knows what the consequence of that could have been, I think we need a serious discussion about that,” he said. |
| Sturgeon said: “This is a hugely serious issue. There should be full disclosure of what happened, who knew what, when, and why the House of Commons wasn’t told.” | Sturgeon said: “This is a hugely serious issue. There should be full disclosure of what happened, who knew what, when, and why the House of Commons wasn’t told.” |
| The government has not released further details about the test apart from to describe it as a success. | The government has not released further details about the test apart from to describe it as a success. |
| A government spokesman said: “The capability and effectiveness of the Trident missile, should we ever need to employ it, is unquestionable. In June the Royal Navy conducted a routine unarmed Trident test launch from HMS Vengeance as part of an operation to certify the submarine and its crew. | A government spokesman said: “The capability and effectiveness of the Trident missile, should we ever need to employ it, is unquestionable. In June the Royal Navy conducted a routine unarmed Trident test launch from HMS Vengeance as part of an operation to certify the submarine and its crew. |
| “Vengeance and her crew were successfully tested and certified, allowing Vengeance to return into service. We have absolute confidence in our independent nuclear deterrent. We do not provide further details on submarine operations for obvious national security reasons.” | “Vengeance and her crew were successfully tested and certified, allowing Vengeance to return into service. We have absolute confidence in our independent nuclear deterrent. We do not provide further details on submarine operations for obvious national security reasons.” |
| HMS Vengeance, one of the UK’s four Vanguard-class submarines designed to carry the UK’s Trident nuclear missiles, returned to sea in December 2015 after a £350m, four-year refit. | HMS Vengeance, one of the UK’s four Vanguard-class submarines designed to carry the UK’s Trident nuclear missiles, returned to sea in December 2015 after a £350m, four-year refit. |