PM under pressure over Trident test failure

PRIME Minister Theresa May is facing calls to come clean over a failed test of the Trident nuclear deterrent, amid claims the Government acted like North Korea in covering up the news.

Mrs May failed to answer four direct questions on her knowledge of the test, which reportedly took place weeks before MPs approved the £40bn Trident renewal programme in July.

Reports in The Sunday Times claim an unarmed Trident II D5 missile launch from a British submarine off Florida in June malfunctioned. Mrs May did not mention this test in a speech to MPs before the Commons vote, in which she urged them to back renewal, leading to allegations the malfunction has been covered up.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called the failed test “a pretty catastrophic error”, while the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon has called for “full disclosure” about who knew what when.

Labour peer and former senior Royal Navy officer Admiral Lord West added it was “bizarre and stupid” to not tell anyone about the test.

Appearing on BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show, Mrs May said she had “absolute faith” in the Trident missiles.

However, she repeatedly failed to address whether she knew about the failed test before her speech to MPs.

She said: “When I made that speech in the House of Commons, what we were talking about was whether or not we should renew Trident, whether or not we should have Trident missiles, an independent nuclear deterrent.

“I think we should play our role in Nato with an independent nuclear deterrent.

“Jeremy Corbyn thinks differently, Jeremy Corbyn thinks we shouldn’t defend our country.”

She gave similar answers to further questions on the subject.

Mr Corbyn told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “I think this failure is something that ought to pause everyone for a moment and just think what happened. It’s a pretty catastrophic error when a missile goes in the wrong direction and, whilst it wasn’t armed, goodness knows what the consequence of that could have been, I think we need a serious discussion about that.”

Nia Griffith, Llanelli MP and Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, said: “I am demanding the Prime Minister come to Parliament tomorrow to give a full explanation to MPs.”

Admiral Lord West told BBC Radio 4’s The World this Weekend: “From what the Government says there was a minor glitch... and they’re quite happy with the missile.

“In which case let people know, otherwise we’re a bit like... North Korea or China, where they won’t admit to things going wrong”