THE Labour Party will today pledge its commitment to Trident nuclear weapons and NATO in an effort to rebuild links with the Armed Forces.
Former leader Jeremy Corbyn had said he would never order the firing of a missile and is a long-time critic of NATO.
Nearly a year on from Corbyn’s exit, the shadow defence secretary John Healey will this morning promote Labour’s plans for security.
The speech comes a month on from the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons coming into effect. The legally binding international agreement aims to ban nuclear weapons with a goal of their total elimination.
READ MORE: One Treaty gives us key to rid Scotland of Trident, and we can prepare now
Speaking to the Royal United Services Institute, the world’s oldest defence think tank, today, Healey will say: “First, Labour's commitment to NATO is unshakeable; second, Labour’s support for the UK's nuclear deterrent is non-negotiable.
"Third, Labour’s commitment to international law and the UN, to universal human rights and to the multilateral treaties and organisations that uphold them, is total."
He will also promote his party’s plan to back UK industry with military procurement deals for the defence, aerospace, shipbuilding and steel sectors.
The shadow defence secretary will tell attendees: "We are the party of sovereign defence capability – we see the steel industry, the shipyards, the aerospace and materials industries as a national asset.
“We want to see a clear plan from Government to enhance these capabilities.
“We want to see, for the good of our country, as much as possible of our equipment designed and built here."
READ MORE: Trident removal critical to security of independent Scotland
Unions representing defence workers celebrated the promises, with the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions general secretary saying: “The cross-party support for the nuclear deterrent will reassure tens of thousands of highly-skilled workers engaged in building our nuclear submarines and the communities that rely on those jobs.”
Responding, Patrick Harvie MSP, co-leader of the Scottish Greens said: "Particularly at a time when COVID has done so much damage, it is extremely disappointing that the Labour Party has decided to underline its support for the deadly Trident system. Nuclear weapons are an obscenity and will do nothing to protect us from the real threats, such as pandemics and climate change."
"The £100bn price-tag could be used to boost the vital public services and the workers that have done so much to get us through the last year. As we look to the future, and the climate emergency that we are entering, it is vital that we focus on building a fairer, greener Scotland, and not one that squanders huge sums of money on weapons of mass destruction."
"This is also a big challenge for Scottish Labour. The new leader won't be announced until tomorrow, but, against the wishes of many Scottish members, the party's Westminster leadership appears to have committed them to supporting the same failed and destructive policies that have caused many to turn to other parties like the Scottish Greens."
"We cannot go back to how things were. With independence, Scotland can play a leading role in nuclear disarmament by signing up to the nuclear weapons ban and leaving NATO."
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