Tories set to delay Trident vote

Labour has accused Michael Fallon of “playing games” over Britain’s security after it emerged the Commons vote on Trident may not be held until the summer.

Backbencher John Mann attacked Michael Fallon and David Cameron after the Defence Secretary suggested the parliamentary debate could be pushed back beyond the local elections in May.

Fallon said the vote would cover merely  “the principle” of renewal of the nuclear deterrent rather than the so-called main-gate decision. He is also expected to announce £642m of spending on equipment related to Trident’s successor programme in the run-up to the Scottish Conservative conference this weekend – even though the parliamentary vote has not taken place.

“We have to fight for parliamentary time and the current session is ending, so it is unlikely to be in this session. It could be in the new session, in the early summer,” Fallon told the Daily Record.

Today Mann wrote on Twitter: “So Fallon and Cameron playing games with UK defences. If they are still in jobs by then of course”.

It remains possible that Cameron could push the timing of the vote back to the Autumn in an attempt to ensure Labour’s conference is dominated by disagreements over Trident.

Labour’s review of defence policy, which covers Trident and is led by shadow Defence Secretary Emily Thornberry, is due to report in time for Autumn Conference.