Blair relies on Tories to get Trident

3.32.49pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 16th Mar 2007

Tony Blair has only been able to push his 'legacy' of replacing Trident through the House of Commons because of Conservative support. A Liberal Democrat amendment to delay taking a decision until after crucial Non-Proliferation talks in 2010 was supported by 95 rebel Labour MPs. The Labour Government's majority would have been easily wiped out if it wasn't for the Conservatives giving Tony Blair their wholehearted support.

The Labour rebellion was the biggest since the vote on the Iraq War in 2003, another occasion when Tony Blair relied on Tory support. We can only hope that the consequences of the Trident vote aren't as disastrous as the Iraq one.

After the Liberal Democrat amendment was lost our MPs voted against the Government proposal to commit the UK to renewing Trident straight away.

Menzies Campbell, Leader of the Liberal Democrats said "It is a humiliation for the Prime Minister that he has been unable to take this through without the support of the Conservatives and with such a large rebellion from the Labour benches. It is indicative of the extent to which the Prime Minister's authority is draining away that he couldn't take his party united through the lobby."