JEREMY CORBYN’S battle to end Labour’s support for Trident was boosted yesterday as shadow foreign office minister Catherine West threw her weight behind his campaign.

The Labour leader defied critics of his anti-nuclear stance to accept a position as CND vice-president on Saturday, declaring himself “very honoured” at the group’s conference.

And, amid the crucial debate over Trident within Labour, Ms West rallied behind Mr Corbyn in the first speech by a shadow minister at CND conference in years.

Addressing the event’s “scrapping Trident” rally on his behalf, she said: “Politics is the language of priorities.

“Which is why we must question the government spending £100 billion on an anachronistic weapons system that may never deal with today’s security threats.

“Surely some of that £100bn would be better spent in tackling climate change, fast becoming a factor in people’s security in the poorest parts of the world, rather than a nuclear submarine system that potentially compromises rather than enhances our security.”

Trident renewal was not debated at Labour conference last month but is included in the party’s defence policy review.

Shadow defence secretary Maria Eagle, who is leading the review, is opposed to unilateral nuclear disarmament.

But Ms West argued yesterday that Trident would not prevent security risks facing Britain.

She said: “The dangerous mix of drought, famine and Islamic extremism pose a threatening question which spending £100bn on a submarine fails to answer.”

The shadow minister called on the peace movement to take part in Labour’s “push for a more considered approach to national security which matches resources to our national priorities.”

Mr Corbyn also won cross-party support for his position yesterday from Green Party deputy leader Amelia Womack.

David Cameron has claimed Mr Corbyn represents a “threat to national security” because he has ruled out launching a nuclear attack if he becomes PM.

But Ms Womack argued that it was Mr Cameron who posed a “threat to international security” by “brazenly” declaring he would press the red button.

“Imagine if he was leader of a country in the Middle East,” she said.

“Such a declaration of nuclear eagerness from a non-European country would have them placed on the axis of evil and a military invasion from the West would be imminent.”