Anger as PM dodges questions on failed Trident missile test

Defence: Cover-up claim as incident weeks before nukes vote

Prime Minister Theresa May is facing calls to come clean over a failed Trident missile test, amid claims the government covered up the incident.

She failed to answer four questions on her knowledge of the test, which took place weeks before MPs approved the £40billion Trident renewal programme in July.

It was reported at the weekend that the launch of an unarmed Trident II D5 missile from a British submarine off Florida in June malfunctioned.

Mrs May did not mention this test in a speech in which she urged MPs to back renewal, leading to accusations the malfunction has been covered up.

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

The UK’s nuclear submarine fleet is based in Scotland, at the Faslane naval base on the Clyde estuary.

Labour peer and former senior 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 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 our Trident, whether or not we should have Trident missiles, an independent nuclear deterrent in the future.”

She gave similar answers to further questions on the subject.

Mr Corbyn seized on suggestions the missile veered away from its intended target near Africa.

The Labour leader said: “I think this failure is something that ought to pause everyone for a moment and just think what happened.

“We understand the prime minister chose not to inform parliament about this and it’s come out some months later.

“It’s a pretty catastrophic error when a missile goes in the wrong direction and I think we need a serious discussion about that.”

SNP leader Ms Sturgeon tweeted: “This is a hugely serious issue.

“There should be full disclosure of what happened, who knew what/when, and why the House of Commons wasn’t told.”

Admiral Lord West said the government had “made a bit of a pageant” of previous missile tests.

He said: “From what the government says there was a minor glitch with the missile and they’re quite happy with the missile.

“In which case go ahead and let people know, otherwise we’re a bit rather like the Soviet Union used to be, or like North Korea or China, where they won’t admit to things going wrong when you’re actually testing them to see if they do or don’t go wrong.”

He added: “I think it is bizarre and stupid that they didn’t say that there’d been a firing and that there had been a missile malfunction and that it was a minor fault.”

A Sunday newspaper that reported the story said the cause of the failure remained

“I think it is bizarre they didn’t say there’d been a missile malfunction”

secret but questions could be asked over the government’s failure to publicise the failed test.

Labour MP and former defence minister Kevan Jones said: “The UK’s independent nuclear deterrent is a vital cornerstone for the nation’s defence.

“If there are problems, they should not have been covered up in this hamfisted way.

“Ministers should come clean if there are problems and there should be an urgent inquiry into what happened.”

A government spokesman said: “In June the Royal Navy conducted a