ALMOST three quarters of MSPs have voted in support of scrapping the Trident nuclear deterrent as Labour and the SNP united at Holyrood over the issue.

In a historic vote showing an overwhelming majority of the Scottish Parliament is now opposed to renewal of the Clyde-based weapons system, 96 MSPs voted in favour of an SNP motion amended by Labour calling on the UK Government to axe Trident.

In a sign that Scottish Labour is far more united than the UK party over the issue, just one of its MSPs, Jackie Baillie, voted against the position alongside 16 Conservative and Liberal Democrat members.

Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish party leader who previously supported multilateral disarmament, was among those voting in support of the motion reflecting the new position agreed during the party's conference at the weekend and backed by more than 70 per cent of members and union affiliates.

Labour's democracy spokeswoman Claire Baker said the conference vote means opposition to the renewal of Trident is now the party's "clear position," after a strong case was made that commissioning a new generation of the submarines would be the "wrong choice at the wrong time".

She added that there was a strong fundamental case against a nuclear arsenal, arguing that if used, the weapons would cause "unimaginable destruction and death, and there can be no justification for deploying them."

She also emphasised that steps must be taken to ensure that alternative jobs for workers at the Faslane and Coulport bases are created in the event of Trident being cancelled.

The decision was welcomed by groups including the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Church of Scotland, which said even threatening to use nuclear weapons was "morally and ethically abhorrent."

However, the Scottish Conservatives strongly opposed the motion with MSP John Lamont saying unilateral disarmament would severely damage the UK’s national security and might encourage other states to acquire their own nuclear weapons as a consequence.

It came as Labour at Westminster remained divided over Trident, with MSP Neil Findlay stating that the Scottish party would now seek to persuade their counterparts at a UK level to follow in their footsteps. Neil Kinnock, the former party leader, warned current boss Jeremy Corbyn, an outspoken opponent of nuclear weapons, that British voters would not support a party on a platform of ditching the deterrent.

Lord Kinnock said: "What I do know is the British people will not vote for unilateral disarmament. And that reality has to be dealt with."

During the Holyrood debate, SNP MSPs repeatedly applauded Labour's new stance. However, following proceedings the party said Labour had been plunged into "fresh chaos" following Ms Baillie's rebellion.

The nationalists questioned whether Ms Baillie, whose Dumbarton constituency takes in the Faslane base and has warned that as many as 13,000 jobs depend on Trident, could remain as a frontbench MSP.

Labour sources immediately dismissed the suggestion of Ms Baillie, her party's spokeswoman for public services and wealth creation, being sacked or stepping down from the shadow cabinet saying that collective responsibility did not apply to reserved issues.

Ms Baillie attacked the SNP during the debate saying the party was guilty of the "worst kind of gesture politics" and workers did not believe claims that jobs could be protected through "defence diversification", despite this now being official Scottish party policy.

She added: "Faslane is the single biggest site employer in Scotland. More than a quarter of West Dunbartonshire's full-time workforce are employed there in good-quality well-paid jobs. The workers on the ground say that if 'if the submarines are not there, there is no work for us'."

SNP MSP Bill Kidd later said the fact that Ms Baillie's intervention was applauded by Tory members "should give her serious pause for thought."

He added: "In contrast to Labour’s confusion and chaos, the SNP’s position is absolutely clear – we have always and will always oppose the ridiculous notion of spending £167 billion on immoral weapons of mass destruction.  And we will always put welfare before warfare, nurses before nukes and bairns before bombs."

Closing the debate for the Conservatives, Annabel Goldie said that unilaterally ditching Trident would be a breach of the Government's obligation to its citizens, adding that both Labour and the SNP would "hike up taxes and scupper the country's defences."

The GMB Union, which represents many of the workers whose jobs are linked to Trident, said the Scottish Government had "failed miserably" on the issue leaving its members feeling betrayed.

Jim Moohan, GMB Senior officer, said: "We unfortunately live in a hostile world.  Until all parties come to the table to discuss a creative dialogue of disarmament the myth of diversification will continue to be abused by those who wish to be morally correct yet at the same want to forget the consequences of the result on a UK level as to what would happen to those who are employed in this sector of industry."