Labour Still Incoherent Over Trident
LABOUR STILL INCOHERENT OVER TRIDENT
SHADOW SCOTTISH SECRETARY UNABLE TO EXPLAIN PARTY’S TWO POSITIONS
The new Shadow Scottish Secretary was unable to explain the incoherence at the heart of Labour’s position on Trident, with Lesley Laird MP suggesting the party’s position could still change.
When asked on Good Morning Scotland how she would vote on Trident, Lesley Laird said “I don’t want to have nuclear weapons, but the position is that we have them”.
Challenged on whether she would follow UK Labour’s support for Trident or Scottish Labour’s position against, Ms Laird said that “I’m supporting the UK manifesto position because that is the campaign that we’ve just fought and that is the position that we take”.
She continued: “Labour in Scotland made our position through our Scottish conference and we fed that into the UK position. The UK position is the one that we’ve just fought the manifesto on, and clearly we will continue to have that debate.”
Patricia Gibson said:
“Labour’s position on Trident is completely incoherent.
“Their shadow Scottish Secretary says that she’ll vote for Trident renewal even though Labour in Scotland is opposed.
“Kezia Dugdale supports Trident but leads a party in Scotland where it will be based that opposes it, while Jeremy Corbyn opposes Trident but leads a party that backs renewal and Scottish Labour MPs don’t know which way to look. It is completely and utterly incoherent.
“The SNP by contrast stands clearly and firmly against the wasteful and expensive renewal of Trident.”
ENDS
Presenter:
“Are you Scotland’s woman in the shadow cabinet or are you Jeremy Corbyn’s woman in Scotland? If there was a vote on Trident for instance, how would you vote?”
Lesley Laird:
“My position again is very clear on Trident. I recognise, I don’t want to have nuclear weapons, but the position is that we have them. The position is that more broadly, we need a wider defence review. I think recent events really support what was in the manifesto, which is that the world has changed and we need a proper defence review to consider how best we should protect ourselves.”
Presenter:
“The UK Labour party’s committed to Trident, the Scottish party voted against. So which side are you on?”
Lesley Laird:
“I’m supporting the UK manifesto position because that is the campaign that we’ve just fought and that is the position that we take.”
Presenter:
“But I thought you were fighting Scotland’s corner here? The Scottish party says no to this.”
Lesley Laird:
“Scottish Labour made our position through our Scottish conference and we fed that into the UK position. The UK position is the one that we’ve just fought the manifesto on, and clearly we will continue to have that debate.”
