‘Don’t tie your hands, Ed’ – LabourList readers don’t want Miliband to rule out any post-election deal

Trident and nuclear weapons more general have long been a contentious topic in British politics. There is a segment of the PLP that oppose the renewal of Trident. If CND’s recent survey of prospective parliamentary candidates is anything to go by this could grow slightly larger in May.

Trident’s replacement would come into effect in 2028 but whether or not the government will decide to commit to a new nuclear deterrent will be decided upon in 2016.

Given the divisive nature of this topic, we asked LabourList readers what they thought and true to what you’d expect, opinion is split.

48% of people support unilateral disarmament, and want to abolish Trident altogether.

Meanwhile, 48% want Trident to be kept, although are split on how. 15% don’t want Trident to be renewed but do want to keep the current system, while 10.3% of these want Trident’s capabilities reduced, losing Britain’s continuous at-sea deterrent. Just over one fifth of people (22.3%) agree with the way Labour’s current policy on Trident is headed. It was agreed at the National Party Forum that Labour were “committed to a minimum, credible independent nuclear deterrent, delivered through a Continuous At-Sea Deterrent.”

Only 5% say they ‘don’t know’ suggesting that there are strong feelings on this issue.

Increasingly it looks like no party will win a majority in May. And given how badly Labour are faring in May there has recently been a lot of talk about whether Labour would do a deal with the SNP.

Many Labour people, including editor Mark Ferguson, are dead set against this. But others, like LabourList columnist Sunny Hundal, think it’s one of the only ways Labour will get into government. What do LabourList readers think?

There’s a sizeable number of people (63%) who agree that Labour shouldn’t rule out any post-election deal with the SNP.

It seems that there is some kind of appetite for a deal, if it means helping Labour get into government – 22% think that Labour should rule out a coalition but that means they wouldn’t necessarily oppose a minority Labour government looking to the SNP for support.

A smaller number -15% – want Labour to rule out any form of agreement with the SNP.