Jeremy Corbyn: Scrapping Trident would become Labour policy on conference vote

Scrapping the Trident nuclear deterrent would become Labour policy if members and trade unionists vote for it at party conference next week, Jeremy Corbyn has said.

The highly controversial issue of unilateral nuclear disarmament will be debated at the Brighton conference on Monday and then put to a vote split evenly between Labour members and trade union delegates.

Mr Corbyn’s anti-nuclear stance has caused friction in the shadow cabinet, with deputy leader Tom Watson among others who back Trident renewal.

But the Labour leader made clear that if a motion calling for the submarine deterrent to be scrapped is passed at conference it will become Labour policy.

Asked whether scrapping Trident would become party policy if conference votes for it, Mr Corbyn told the New Statesman: “Well, it would be, of course, because it would have been passed at conference.”