Demonstrations of Labour party disunity are ten-a-penny these days. But even so, last night’s Trident debate was still something to behold: 140 Labour MPs went against Jeremy Corbyn to back Trident renewal. Yet it wasn’t numbers but the words Labour MPs said which will have damaged Corbyn the most. Scores of backbenchers accused Corbyn of going against the party’s own manifesto policy on the vote. In one of the most damning speeches, John Woodcock said:
‘What Labour’s current front bench are doing is not principled. It shows contempt for the public, for party members and often in what they say for the truth.’
He went on to say the Trident vote showed ‘how far this once great party has fallen’. So what can Labour do now? Hilary Benn did his best to be diplomatic about Corbyn on his Today interview just now, but he was also clear that Trident renewal was the official position of the Labour party.
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