Labour’s shadow Scottish secretary has defended his party’s decision to avoid a debate on the renewal of Trident nuclear weapons – which both he and his leader oppose.
Just 7% of Labour delegates at the party conference in Brighton voted for a debate on Trident, meaning it was shelved in favour of debates on issues such as the NHS, the refugee crisis, mental health and housing.
Shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wants to introduce more “straightforward” politics to the Labour Party.
Sunday’s decision means Labour’s standing support for the renewal of the Clyde-based weapons, which was reaffirmed under Ed Miliband, will remain party policy but Mr Corbyn and the party’s only Scottish MP will continue to voice their own personal opposition.
Mr Murray has said he will not vote for renewal even if the party continues to support it when the issue comes to the vote at Westminster next year.
Scottish Labour is preparing to have its own debate on Trident at its conference next month.
Speaking from Brighton on BBC Radio Scotland, Mr Murray said: “The party’s position is very clearly the renewal of Trident.
“The party yesterday, the delegates that are here, voted not to have that particular debate this week, and Jeremy has said quite clearly that he wants to open up this party to a much more democratic process and that democratic process spoke yesterday.”
He added: “The public has to take Labour’s position, which is still the current position of the Labour Party and the national policy forum which set the manifesto and the agenda for the last election.
“Jeremy has said quite clearly he wants to persuade the party, the shadow cabinet of the Parliamentary Labour Party, the wider membership and indeed the country that we shouldn’t be renewing Trident.
“He has been pretty clear that he wants to have that debate and that argument, but it is not happening because the membership of a democratic party has voted not to have that.
“Only 7% of the 10,000 people that are here this week voted to have that debate on Trident.
“I think we have to listen to that process and I don’t see what’s wrong with that.
“My position on Trident has not changed. I will not support the renewal of Trident.
“My party leadership has changed, my party is changing, the Scottish party is changing, my view on Trident has not changed and I will not vote to support it.
“I have had the view for a long time, Jeremy shares that view, others in the shadow cabinet don’t.
“If we all supported the same positions it would certainly make democracy a much less important part of British life, and I think we should welcome the debate.
“This is about a new straightforward, straight-talking honest politics that Jeremy wants to put to the public and I think it’s pretty healthy and something that we should welcome to have that debate.”