UNITE general secretary Len McCluskey praised Jeremy Corbyn yesterday for being the first Labour leader to put forward a “serious” alternative to Trident.

Unite is holding its first-ever Scottish policy conference in Clydebank — just 20 miles from the nuclear submarine base at Faslane.

Mr MrCluskey, who represents workers that build and service Trident submarines, warned that simply scrapping the weapons system could “devastate” communities which depend on the jobs.

He said: “Unite is pro-jobs, pro-communities and we will defend that position irrespective of who is leader of the Labour Party.”

But he added that Mr Corbyn was the “first leader of a political party who seems to be serious about developing proper defence diversification policies.”

“We haven’t had that for the last 40 years,” he told Radio 5 Live. “It’s a postive thing for us, not a negative thing.”

Mr McCluskey accused the right-wing media of “obsessing” over Trident because they “see it as an opportunity to try to create division.”

Turning to disruptive Labour MPs, he added: “Let’s have some unity. I wish they’d attack the Tories a lot more than they’re attacking Jeremy Corbyn and our leadership at the moment.”
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hadow chancellor John McDonnell said he favoured a free vote for Labour MPs when Trident renewal is debated in Parliament later this year.

Mr McCluskey also met SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon for the first time yesterday.

The First Minister said the party’s pledge to scrap Trident would be matched by a commitment to provide alternative jobs.