THE LABOUR party's announcement of its commitment to renewing Trident has been welcomed by Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie.

Shadow defence secretary, Nia Griffith MP, reaffirmed the party's support for the nuclear deterrent during an interview with British Force Broadcasting last week.

Ms Baillie said: “This is a very welcome announcement from the new shadow defence secretary that will safeguard local jobs at Faslane and Coulport for years to come and reassure local businesses. I am delighted that Nia Griffith has been clear from the very start by putting an end to months of speculation about Labour’s position."

Protecting the jobs at Faslane and Coulport have always been an important issue for Ms Baillie who spoke out at the Scottish Labour conference in 2015 and the national conference this summer.

The Dumbarton Labour Party branch also sent pro-Trident motions and delegates to party conference to highlight the significant contribution the base makes to our local economy. Ms Baillie added: “The base directly employs 6,800 people according to official government figures and a further 4,500 jobs depend on the base indirectly through the supply chain and local spend.

"The total number of jobs is already on the increase thanks to the decision taken when Gordon Brown was Prime Minister to make Faslane the base for the UK’s whole submarine fleet."