Centreforum urges government to scrap plans to replace Trident nuclear missile system
The Scottish Parliament has once again voted to scrap the Trident nuclear system Reuters

Holyrood will be hoping its nuclear-sized message reaches Westminster after the Scottish Parliament voted to reject the renewal of Trident. The devolved assembly had already voted against updating the nuclear deterrent in 2007 and in 2014 when MSPs voted 68 to 47.

The parliament rejected the system again, 96 to 17, on 3 November after Labour MSP Claire Baker tabled an amendment to make sure jobs were protected if the system was scrapped. The debate came to light after the Foreign Affairs Committee estimated the renewal of Trident could cost a £167bn ($257bn).

The vote also came after Scottish Labour backed an anti-Trident position at its annual conference in Perth. The decision proved awkward for new Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, who has previously backed the nuclear deterrent, but the vote bolstered Jeremy Corbyn's position as the Labour leader faces opposition from within his shadow cabinet over his anti-nuclear stance.

"While I welcome the fact that many Labour MSPs backed the SNP position on Trident and commend them for voting against these immoral weapons – the fact is that today's vote raises more questions than answers on Labour's position," said Bill Kidd, an SNP MSP.

"Labour's position on Trident is a shambolic, incoherent and chaotic mess – with a Scottish leader who is well known to support the renewal of Trident but leads a party that opposes it – while the party's UK leader is opposed to renewal but leads a party that supports it.

"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 £167bn on immoral weapons of mass destruction. And we will always put welfare before warfare, nurses before nukes and bairns before bombs."

The full list of the MSPs who voted against Scottish Labour's amendment to scrap Trident can be found below.

Conservative MSPs

Ruth Davidson (Glasgow)

Jackson Carlaw (West Scotland)

Alex Fergusson (Galloway and West Dumfries)

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife)

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland)

John Lamont (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire)

Annabel Goldie (West Scotland)

Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife)

John Scott (Ayr)

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands)

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland)

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland)

Liberal Democrat MSPs

Jim Hume (South Scotland)

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands)

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland)

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands)

Labour MSPs

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton)