SCOTTISH Labour should back Jeremy Corbyn's bid to reposition his party on Trident, deputy leader Alex Rowley has said.
The MSP urged Labour members in Scotland to support the UK leader's staunchly anti-nuclear weapons stance, as the issue plunged the party into chaos at the end of its conference in Brighton.
Mr Corbyn, who today makes his first visit to Holyrood since becoming leader, said he would never push the nuclear button if he were Prime Minister.
His comments prompted attacks from shadow cabinet colleagues and Conservative opponents alike.
His own shadow defence secretary, Maria Eagle, said he had undermined the party’s defence review, which is designed to reach an agreed position on the future of Britain's nuclear deterrent.
Prime Minister David Cameron, meanwhile, said Mr Corbyn's comments showed he "can't be trusted with our national security".
Mr Corbyn is now facing the possibility of damaging shadow cabinet resignations if his party remains committed to a new generation of Trident missiles, following the internal review, but with its deterrent effect neutered by his refusal to countenance its use under any circumstances.
Mr Rowley called on Scottish Labour to back Mr Corbyn and resolve the confusion by campaigning for the party to reverse its policy.
He said he was confident Scottish Labour would debate the future of Trident at its conference in Perth at the end of next month and was hopeful members would agree to oppose the renewal of the weapons system, a decision on which is due next year.
He said: "If that decision was to be made by conference the Scottish Labour Party would be in a position where we could campaign very openly across the whole of the UK
"I would absolutely hope that the membership and affiliates will agree to debate Trident.
"I'll be putting the case, if that happens, that the arguments for renewing Trident do not stack up in military, economic or moral terms."
He said Labour members across Scotland had expressed the same view.
If Scottish Labour came out against Trident, which is based at Faslane on the Clyde, it would send a strong message to the UK party.
Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, does not support unilateral nuclear disarmament but has opened the door to a debate at the conference.
Mr Corbyn, the vice-chairman of CND, has repeatedly made clear his deep opposition to Britain’s Clyde-based nuclear deterrent, but when pressed on if he would ever press the nuclear button, the Labour leader told the BBC: “No.”
He went on: “There are five declared nuclear weapon states in the world. There are three others that have nuclear weapons. That is eight countries out of 192...So 187 countries don’t feel the need to have a nuclear weapon to protect their security. Why should those five need it themselves? We are not in the era of the cold war anymore. It finished a long time ago.”
Mr Corbyn added: “I am opposed to the use of nuclear weapons. I am opposed to the holding of nuclear weapons. I want to see a nuclear-free world. I believe it is possible.”
His remarks infuriated his Westminster colleagues.
Maria Eagle, the Shadow Defence Secretary, who is in favour of Trident renewal, said her leader’s comments had "undermined to some degree" the review she is carrying out of the party's defence policy.
"I don't think that a potential prime minister answering a question like that, in the way in which he did, is helpful," she added.
Lord Falconer, the Shadow Justice Secretary, said: "There's no point having a nuclear deterrent unless you're prepared in extreme circumstances to use it."
Andy Burnham, the shadow home secretary, said he would find it difficult to remain in Mr Corbyn's frontbench team if Labour ditched its support for Trident.
The Tories seized on his remarks with Mr Cameron, during a visit to Jamaica, saying: "The independent nuclear deterrent that we have in Britain is a vital insurance policy for our nation in what is a very dangerous world.
"And, frankly, the way the Labour leader has answered that question demonstrates that Labour can't be trusted with our national security which, after all, is the most important duty of government."
Asked later if he stood by his comments, Mr Corbyn said: "Would anybody press the nuclear button?"
The main-gate decision on a Trident replacement is expected early next year; in the run-up to the Holyrood elections. A crunch vote is expected at Westminster.
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