Nukes 'didn't do US any good on 9/11'

Jeremy Corbyn has reaffirmed his opposition to Trident - by saying nuclear weapons "did not do the United States any good on 9/11".

The Labour leader had earlier prompted dissent from within his own shadow cabinet by insisting he would never push the nuclear button if he was elected Prime Minister, after saying in his keynote conference speech on Monday that he would push through plans to make Labour back unilateral nuclear disarmament and vote against renewing Trident.

But asked about the issue late yesterday, he told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We're going to have a discussion and debate about nuclear weapons; we're going to have a discussion and debate about how we're fulfilling our obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation Treaty and we'll go forward from there.

"There is no decision required until probably next summer on this and I hold a view, which is well-known, on nuclear weapons…

"Would anybody press the nuclear button? Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction that take out millions of civilians. They didn't do the USA much good on 9/11 – the problems in this world are not huge wars in that way."

Those comments sparked a public row within his shadow cabinet, with his shadow Defence Secretary Maria Eagle calling into question his ability to be PM if he was unprepared to press the nuclear button.