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Ministers face Trident rebellion | Ministers face Trident rebellion |
(10 minutes later) | |
Ministers are facing a possible Labour rebellion over plans to renew the UK's nuclear weapons system. | |
MPs will vote on Wednesday on the government's £20bn plans to replace the Clyde-based Trident system. | |
A BBC survey of Labour backbenchers found 64 out of 101 who responded opposed renewal. One ministerial aide has said he will resign over the issue. | |
But Defence Secretary Des Browne said he was "confident we will persuade people to come to our side". | |
Lack of support | Lack of support |
The survey for the BBC's The World This Weekend found that out of the 101 Labour MPs who responded, 22 said they supported the renewal of Trident. | |
A total of 64 said they opposed it, and a further 15 were still undecided. | A total of 64 said they opposed it, and a further 15 were still undecided. |
This could mean the government will have to rely on the votes of the Conservatives to carry Wednesday's motion to determine whether a new generation of nuclear submarines is acquired and the Trident D5 missiles updated. | This could mean the government will have to rely on the votes of the Conservatives to carry Wednesday's motion to determine whether a new generation of nuclear submarines is acquired and the Trident D5 missiles updated. |
Some people feel they are prisoners of the position that the party had before it changed in the 1980s Des Browne, Defence Secretary onClick="javascript:newsi.utils.av.launch({storyId:6439477, fileLoc: '/player/nol/newsid_6430000/newsid_6439400/', nbwm: 1,bbwm: 1,bbram: 1,nbram: 1});return false;" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_6430000/newsid_6439400?redirect=6439477.stm&news=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1&bbram=1&nbram=1">Browne interview | |
Mr Browne told BBC One's The Politics Show the UK had an "obligation" to retain a deterrent as part of its membership of Nato. | |
He said: "It's not nearly as straightforward as people suggest. They sleep soundly in their beds at night because we have nuclear weapons." | |
Mr Browne added: "Some people feel they are prisoners of the position that the party had before it changed in the 1980s [which was one of unilateral nuclear disarmament]." | |
He went on: "I'm still confident we will persuade people to come to our side of the argument." | |
'Substantial support' | |
Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer told BBC One's Sunday AM show: "There will be people who take a different view, but I hope we demonstrate that we are broadly unified on the way to go forward." | |
He added: "I'm sure we will get very substantial support on the Labour benches." | |
Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said the Conservatives were supporting a replacement for Trident to ensure the UK was "prepared for all eventualities". | |
He added: "We think the government's decision on Trident is the right one. | |
"We think we need to make an early decision for a number of reasons. | |
"And when the government is doing the right thing in terms of national security we think they should get the support of the opposition." | |
Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey said: "The Tories are making it too easy for Blair and Brown to put this issue to bed before the handover. | |
"I understand that the Tories support Trident's replacement, but surely even they can see that the final decision will not be made until 2012 -14. That¿s when Parliament should make its decision." | |
'Loom large' | |
Livingston Labour MP Jim Devine, who is parliamentary private secretary to health minister Rosie Winterton, has indicated he will resign before the Commons vote. | |
Meanwhile, the Scottish National Party is urging ministers not to base the replacement in Scotland. | |
Leader Alex Salmond said Mr Devine's resignation would signal a Labour split. | |
"The government's Trident replacement policy will loom large over a divided Labour party in Scotland in May," he said. | "The government's Trident replacement policy will loom large over a divided Labour party in Scotland in May," he said. |
Mr Salmond cited a government White Paper which states £1bn a year over a period of 15 years will have to be raised from the Treasury budget or from new taxes. | |
Labour leadership contender Michael Meacher said he would order a new vote on Trident after a "full and proper" public consultation if he won his bid to succeed Tony Blair as prime minister. | |
The former environment minister said the government was trying to "bounce" MPs into accepting a replacement. | |