Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell sparked ridicule after saying decisions about deploying our arsenal would be taken by the future Labour PM's after asking the 'wider community'
JEREMY CORBYN would ask permission from members of the public before pushing the nuclear button if he was Prime Minister, John McDonnell claimed last night.
The hard-left Shadow Chancellor sparked ridicule by saying decisions about deploying our arsenal would only be taken by a future Labour PM after asking the “wider community”.
The startling admission came as Mr McDonnell insisted incoming Labour government would maintain the UK's nuclear deterrent - but said using it was a matter of debate.
Probed on his anti-nuke views, he said: “It will be a decision of the government in the future, when a Labour government comes to power, about how and if that was ever used.” And he added that decision about nuclear strikes would be made by the Cabinet and “within parliament and the wider community itself”.
In a testy TV showdown on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Mr McDonnell insisted a nuclear missile would only be fired after weighing up advice.
He said: “The prime minister, Jeremy Corbyn when he is in government, will obviously take the decision on the basis of the advice he is given by the cabinet, the discussions that have taken place in Parliament and the country overall.
"And weighing all those matters up he will then come to that decision." Asked what would happen if the anti-nuclear Mr Corbyn was given firm advice to deploy the weapons, he said: "There would be a government decision the prime minister would abide by.
"The decision would be one in the best interests of our country." But last night senior Tory Tom Tugendhat savaged the claim saying: “I think we have all had enough of referendums.”
The boss of the powerful Commons Foreign Affairs Committee added: “The idea of asking the public if we should react to a nuclear attack is a people’s vote too many.”
