MPs have overwhelmingly voted in favour of renewing the Trident nuclear deterrent.
Some 472 members supported the Government’s motion, while 117 voted against – a majority of 355.
The cost of replacing four ageing Vanguard submarines which carry the Trident ballistic missiles has been estimated at £31bn over 30 years – with £10bn set aside as a contingency.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was one of those who voted against the deterrent in the Commons – a stance which is at odds with his own party’s manifesto during the last general election.
Meanwhile, the SNP’s leader in Westminster, Angus Robertson, had described Trident as “an immoral, obscene and redundant weapons system”.
During a debate prior to the vote, the Prime Minister had declared she would be prepared to push the nuclear button to protect the UK – even if it would cause mass fatalities.
George Kerevan, an MP for the SNP, had asked Mrs May: “Can we cut to the chase? Is she personally prepared to authorise a nuclear strike that can kill a hundred thousand innocent men, women and children?”
She replied: “Yes – and I have to say to you, the whole point of a deterrent is that our enemies need to know that we would be prepared to.”
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