Theresa May vows she’d press nuclear button as MPs vote overwhelmingly to renew Trident missile system

THERESA May last night won her first victory as PM — as MPs gave the green light to renewing Britain’s nuclear deterrent for another 40 years.

The House of Commons voted by 472 to 117 — a majority of 355 — to start work on extending the Trident missile system until the 2060s.

The landmark decision means the £31billion project to replace the ageing Vanguard fleet with four new submarines will press ahead.

But the six-hour debate, in which Mrs May said she would use nuclear weapons if pushed, split Labour MPs three ways and sparked extraordinary scenes of open civil war between them.

Leader Jeremy Corbyn voted against renewing the deterrent, with the support of Scottish Nationalist MPs.

But, in a withering blow against him, more than half of all Labour MPs voted with the Government to support updating Trident.

Of the total Labour MPs, 138 chose to support Mrs May.

Just 48 voted against renewing and 45 abstained.

The new PM dubbed our nuclear arsenal “a vital part of our national security for many years”.

Mrs May appeared at the Despatch Box for the first time as Prime Minister — flanked by new Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon — to open the passionate debate for the Government.

Grilled by angry SNP MPs on whether she would be happy to launch a nuclear strike that could kill 100,000 people, Mrs May swiftly replied: “Yes. The whole point of a deterrent is that our enemies need to know that we would be prepared to use it.”

The new PM said our nuclear arsenal will be “a vital part of our national security for many years”.

She told MPs: “The threats we face are serious and it is vital for our national interest that we have the full spectrum of our defences at full strength to meet them.

“It would be an act of gross ­irresponsibility to lose the ability to meet them by discarding the ­ultimate insurance against them.”

Mrs May said giving up Trident would be “a reckless gamble” that would “embolden our enemies”.

She added that renewing the ­system would protect Brits for ­generations, saying: “We cannot outsource our national security.”

Mrs May also shot down arguments thrown up by left-wing MPs that the threat of nuclear attack on the UK has diminished since the end of the Cold War.

Russia is rebuilding its arsenal, and North Korea has enough nuclear material to produce a dozen nuclear weapons.

She argued that the rogue state, run by despot Kim Jong-un, will soon have a missile with the capability of reaching the US.

The next generation Successor fleet of Royal Navy subs will carry the missiles until the 2060s.

The PM also praised the Royal Navy’s submariners who are on duty under the water 24 hours a day operating the bomber-subs.

Former PM David Cameron listened to Mrs May’s speech from three rows behind her, taking his seat as a backbencher for the first time in 13 years.

But 15 minutes in he appeared to start to lose interest as he began slyly checking his phone.

Sparking bitter scenes, lifelong CND campaigner Mr Corbyn told Mrs May he would try to block her bid for the new subs.

He insisted: “Nobody in this house actually wants nuclear weapons, the debate is how we get rid of them. We on these benches, despite our differences on some issues, have always argued for the aim of a nuclear-free world.”

But the under-fire Opposition Leader was harangued by his own MPs as much as he was by Tories.

Britain’s third biggest union the GMB, which represents many submarine building workers, also rounded on Mr Corbyn.

Its general secretary Tim Roache blasted: “It’s not acceptable to play politics with our members’ livelihoods.”

At times openly shouting at him from the benches behind, moderate Labour members demanded to know why Mr Corbyn himself was rebelling against standing Labour Party policy.

That is to back the Trident fleet’s renewal.

Backbencher John Woodcock had earlier told Mrs May over his leader’s head: “Whatever she’s about to hear from our front bench, it remains steadfastly Labour Party policy to renew our deterrent.”

Former Shadow Cabinet Minister Owen Smith, who is challenging Mr Corbyn for the leadership, mocked his stand, saying: “I was a teenager when I was a member of CND and I’ve long since grown up.”

And Toby Perkins, who last month quit as Shadow Armed Forces minister, compared Labour front bench opposition to Trident with the arguments “of a 13-year-old”.

Britain’s third biggest union the GMB, which represents many submarine building workers, also rounded on Mr Corbyn.

General secretary Tim Roache said: “It’s not acceptable to play politics with members’ livelihoods.”

The group of Labour abstainers was spearheaded by Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, who is in charge of the party’s ongoing nuclear weapons review.

The abstainers, which also included Shadow Defence Secretary Clive Lewis, were attacked by Labour’s pro-Trident deputy leader Tom Watson, who insisted: “To abstain is to not take responsibility.”

Former Justice minister Sir Crispin Blunt was the only Conservative to vote against renewal.

Foreign Affairs Committee boss Mr Blunt attacked the spiralling cost, claiming it could hit £167billion.

But Mrs May also won the backing of Ulster party the DUP.