The Government’s decision to debate the renewal of the Trident nuclear programme has been widely seen as a move to make Labour squirm. And so it came to pass. The debate splits the party both in principle and by faction. The embattled Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has long opposed nuclear weapons, but there are also other questions. Is investing in nuclear arms a worthwhile activity when that money could be used to prop up ailing public services instead? Or should the priority be protecting these isles against an expansionist Russia and bellicose China?
In the end, 140 Labour MPs voted for the renewal, compared to 47 who voted no. A further 41 abstained or made themselves scarce. Those voting against Corbyn included his two challengers, Angela Eagle and Owen Smith, as well as his deputy leader Tom Watson. While his Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, joined him in voting aganist the motion, key allies like Emily Thornberry and Clive Lewis were missing from the chamber. Chuka Umunna, often tipped as a future challenger to the Labour leadership, also missed the vote.
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