The Labour politician, a shadow defence minister, insists she does believe in worldwide nuclear disarmament but last week voted against a proposal to scrap Trident’s renewal in 2016.

This prompted a scathing attack from Clydebank SNP MSP Gil Paterson due to the “obscene” cost of the nuclear programme.

MP Doyle defended her position and reiterated that she wants to see a world free of nuclear weapons.

She said: “No one believes for a second that the UK getting rid of our nuclear deterrent would make North Korea or Iran give up their nuclear programmes and it would be foolhardy to leave Scots unprotected in such a dangerous world.” The House of Commons voted against proposals to scrap the renewal of the UK’s nuclear weapon system by a huge margin of 364 to 35.

While the SNP, Plaid Cymru and single Green MP spoke out against continuing with Trident, most Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat politicians voted for a new nuclear weapon system for the UK.

The programme, which will see new nuclear weapons based at Faslane, is estimated to cost around £100 billion over its three decade life span.

Gil Paterson MSP said: “Gemma Doyle voting with the Tories is becoming normal practice, but at a time when poverty and food bank use has reached record levels, I find it incredible that she — as the Shadow Minister for Defence — could condone such expenditure on a weapon that could never be used.

“Trident also stops the exploitation of the massive oil reserves that are in the Clyde basin which would transform the western seaboard of Scotland and totally re-energise Clydebank.

“Voting to spend this obscene amount of money when it could be used to create jobs, new schools, better housing and raise the standard of living for disadvantaged people defies belief.

Gemma Doyle MP told the Post: “I want to see a world free of nuclear weapons and I believe that the best way of achieving that is to work with other countries around the world on multilateral nuclear disarmament.

“The last Labour Government oversaw the greatest contribution to nuclear disarmament in our history and the next Labour Government will continue this work.

“Thousands of jobs in the West of Scotland are reliant on the Faslane Naval Base and I am surprised at how little consideration a local SNP politician gives to the livelihoods of these workers and their families.” FURTHER ANALYSIS: What is Trident?

THE UK Trident programme is the term given to the operation and development of nuclear weapons in Britain.

The warheads themselves are stored across four Vanguard-class submarines which operate from Faslane.

The four vessels constantly circle the globe waiting for the command to launch their ballistic missiles to a range of 7,500 miles with an accuracy of a few feet.

The missile itself is comprised of multiple nuclear warheads to be launched at different targets — hypothetically capable of destroying a country like Scotland in one go.

Besides the terrifying destructive power of the advanced nuclear weapon system the cost has also been at the centre of debate.

Ministers say renewing trident will cost £20 billion — but further costs of maintaining the programme for its life span could bring that figure up to £100 billion.

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament said the cash could be used for scrapping tuition fees in the UK for 30 years, employing 150,000 new nurses and teachers every year, or to fully fund all A&E services for 40 years.

However, ministers have also expressed the importance of a powerful deterrent to keep the UK safe from other nuclear-wielding nations.