The MP for Edinburgh South, Ian Murray, expressed opposition to the proposed renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system several times during the recent election campaign. For example at the Fairmilehead hustings he described Trident as "morally wrong" and said he wouldn't vote for renewal (from 1hr 7 min in the video). At the hustings in Gilmerton he was pressed by the Green candidate Phyl Meyer to indicate if he'd vote against and he said that he would. Below is the transcript of part of an interview he gave shortly after the election in which he was asked again if he'd vote against renewal and if he'd try to persuade his party to change its position.
Please sign our petition asking him to vote against renewal of the Trident system during this parliament.Transcribed from BBC iplayer.
12/5/2015
Good Morning Scotland
From 1hr.10
You’ve told us where you might work in opposition to the SNP on Full Fiscal Autonomy but one area where surely you can work with them in harmony is on the renewal of Trident because you have said that that is something you would oppose. Are you going to try to persuade your Labour colleagues to look at this in the same way as you do?
Well the Labour party policy is quite clear on Trident and that’s to support the renewal it’s not an open secret it’s very much an open secret I have for many, many years been against the renewal of Trident we will be having those discussions as we go through the renewal of the party in terms of what our agenda will be and we’ll cross those bridges when we come to it. All these discussions happen. We’re only a few hours, a few days after the close of the polls in a huge general election. Let’s just take some time to reflect. Take some time to rebuild the party and just take some time to see what happened during the general election and all these things will come to the fore and be part of these discussions The MSP group met yesterday with the leadership and had a long meeting about the general election so let’s just see what happens
But would you like to see your colleagues at Westminster come on board with your position and not renew Trident?
Well there’s a whole number of positions. We’re a broad church of a party where the Labour movement across the UK and across Scotland involves the affiliates it involves the Trade Union movement it involves a very active Labour party membership.
Absolutely, but you’re on the front bench aren’t you? You have a strong voice as a frontbench spokesman, as a member of the shadow cabinet. At those shadow cabinet meetings will you be arguing for the Labour party to shift its position and not renew Trident?
Well Gary at the start of this interview you were implying I didn’t have a strong voice now you’re implying I do have a strong voice. Let’s just take some time to reflect I’ve been in this job now for a little less than a day I think it’s important that we look at what the general election threw up we reflect on what it threw up and we come to a conclusion on how we renew the Labour party and the Scottish Labour party because the bottom line is here that the UK and Scotland needs an incredibly strong Labour party to oppose to scrutinise and put forward a positive agenda of hope and aspiration for both Scotland and the United Kingdom and that’s the direction we’ll all be going in and that’s the direction and discussion we’ll be having at shadow cabinet
But when it comes to collective responsibility within the Shadow Cabinet when the issue of Trident goes before a vote in the House of Commons what do you do?
Well we’ll have a look at that when that discussion actually happens.
It’s a point of principle surely for you?
We had a cabinet meeting yesterday at which we discussed various items and the Scottish group met yesterday and discussed various items mainly concentrating around the general election and analysing what was there but I’m optimistic for the future that we can put a positive programme together for hope and aspiration
Well I’m sure that’s the case but I’m asking you quite specifically about the renewal of Trident I wonder what you do given that you have said publically that you’re against the renewal of Trident. But there is this issue of collective responsibility within the Shadow cabinet. What do you do if there is a vote in the Commons?
We’ll cross that bridge, we haven’t had those discussions yet.
It’s not about discussions within the Labour it’s about your position. It’s not about discussions within the Labour party. What do you do if there’s a vote on this in the Commons?
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. When we’ve had those discussions.
So you may not vote against it?
Gary I’ve said quite clearly and publically to both to my local electorate and others that I wouldn’t support the renewal of Trident. My position, my personal position hasn’t changed and my personal position is well-known but the important thing is here that we reflect on the result of the general election on Thursday we come forward with a positive programme for change and we oppose and scrutinise with every single fibre that we’ve got this Conservative government and we defend Scotland’s interests against full fiscal autonomy.
