AN MP has said in a “volatile and unpredictable” world, the renewal of the UK’s nuclear weapons programme is in the best interests of his constituency.

MP for Ilford North Wes Streeting voted for the renewal of the Trident nuclear programme in Parliament last night (Monday, July 18).

The MP went against his party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who voted against renewal alongside 46 of his Labour colleagues.

He said: “I take decisions like this very seriously and my vote is based on what I believe is in the best interests of Ilford North and our national security.

“As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, we have an important role to play in global security and our membership of NATO is committed to arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation.

“But as long as nuclear weapons exist, it will unfortunately remain a nuclear alliance.

“So I am personally persuaded that maintaining a minimum continuous at sea nuclear deterrent is necessary to safeguard our national security.”

A total of 472 MPs voted for the renewal of the UK's £31 billion set of four nuclear submarines, with just 117 against.

Mr Streeting added that he had changed his mind on this “major issue of national security” and that job losses were also a factor in his decision.

His Labour colleague in Leyton and Wanstead John Cryer was one of the few who voted for disarmament, while Conservative MP for Chingford and Woodford Green Iain Duncan Smith voted for Trident renewal.