BRITAIN: Gordon Brown's pre-emptive statement promising the retention and renewal of Britain's "independent nuclear deterrent" may force a contest on him for the future leadership of the British Labour Party.
Former cabinet minister Clare Short led fierce reaction on the Labour left yesterday to the chancellor's Mansion House speech in which he signalled that the government he hopes to eventually lead would replace Britain's Trident fleet of nuclear-powered submarines and missiles.
Describing Mr Brown's speech as "outrageous" and "disrespectful of any kind of democratic process", Ms Short said: "It's part of his desperation that's so humiliating him to prove to the Blairites that he's as right-wing as Blair and therefore that they will keep their promise to hand over to him.
"It means a lot of people who were happy to see Brown take over as leader will now think there's got to be a contest and we're not willing to support him."
Leaving no doubt about his future ambitions and again presenting himself as a prime minister-in-waiting, it was unclear whether Mr Brown had advised prime minister Tony Blair about the "nuclear" content of a speech to the lord mayor's annual banquet normally confined to the economy.
The Conservatives appeared to agree with Mr Blair, whose official spokesman insisted the chancellor's statement contained nothing new and that decisions would be taken "in due course" and with "a proper debate".
Defence minister Adam Ingram told MPs in the Commons that "no decisions have yet been taken in principle or detail on any replacement for Trident", confirming that a decision is required before the next election, while declining to commit the government to allow MPs a vote on the issue.
Exploiting the latest evidence of tensions between Numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street, Conservative shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said: "Tony Blair clearly agrees with us that the chancellor's comments are nothing new.
"There is no new commitment to replacing the nuclear deterrent; it is clear the chancellor was merely repeating their [ Labour's] 2005 election pledge to retain the current deterrent.
"Defence is following home affairs into a chaotic mess where different parts of the government are giving different messages.
"What should be an issue of great national importance is being used as a pawn in Labour's internal power struggle."
Liberal Democrat spokesman Nick Harvey also claimed what he called "Gordon Brown's posturing" was "smothering the national debate" the government had promised the British people.
However, one senior cabinet source privately dismissed Number 10's official line, acknowledging that Mr Brown had indeed given a clear policy commitment ahead of any cabinet decision or the publication of the white paper promised yesterday by Commons leader Jack Straw.
Setting the terms for what will prove a protracted and explosive internal Labour debate about both the principle and the cost of replacing Trident, Mr Brown told his City audience the government would demonstrate "a sense of national purpose in protecting our security in this parliament and in the long term - strong in defence, in fighting terrorism, upholding Nato, supporting our armed forces at home and abroad, and retaining our independent nuclear deterrent".
The chancellor went on: "In an insecure world we must and will always have the strength to take all necessary long-term decisions for stability and security."
Labour MP Ian Gibson said many young Labour backbenchers had been weaned on CND and had not lost those early political views.
John McDonnell, chairman of Campaign Group, a grouping of left-wing Labour MPs, said: "The whole tenor of the chancellor's speech is a slap in the face for the Labour and trade union movement."