Socialist Appeal - Blair sides with Tories to push through Trident bill

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Blair sides with Tories to push through Trident bill

By Ben Peck

Thursday, 15 March 2007

Last night an unholy alliance of Blairs new labour and the tories won a Commons vote for the renewal of the Trident nuclear missile defense system.

The Blairites were forced to rely on Tory support to push the bill through after the biggest domestic backbench revolt since Labour came to power. It is the third time the government has had to rely on the support of the Tories after the decision to attack Iraq in 2003 and the bill on Trust schools last year.

MPs voted by 409 votes to 161 in favour of renewing Trident. This meant a majority of 248.

88 Labour MPs revolted against the government and 95 voted in favour of an amended bill postponing the decision. John McDonnell condemmed his partys leadership for being out of touch with popular opinion.

"The scale of this rebellion clearly demonstrates that the prime minister has completely misjudged the overwhelming mood in the party," he said last night. He added that the matter was far from finished with and that the campaign against Trident renewal has just begun.

On a day when Tessa Jowel has anounced that costs for the London 2012 Olympics are now estimated to be £9.35 billion, almost four times the £2.4 billion figure we were sold originally, the commons has now pledged over £20 billion in an investment that yields no returns. The Trident system also costs £2 billion a year to run, bringing the overall cost to £76 billion.

This is a complete squandering of resources at a time when the government are imposing a wage cut on government workers, when the building of council houses has reached its lowest point ever and hospital wards are being closed for lack of cash.

This backbench rebellion by Labour MPs represents a serious political tremor. It represents a sign of things to come if Brown manages to become Labour leader.

The fact that Blair has had to rely on the Tories for support represents a deep-seated dissatisfaction within the party membership that has been over-shadowed by a tyranical leadership. Only by reclaiming the Labour Party for working people and a programme based on socialist principles can a way forward be offered.

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