THE VALE of Glamorgan's MP has voted in favour of renewing Britain's £31bn nuclear deterrent.

Alun Cairns backed the renewal along with 472 other MPs with only 117 voting against the motion in a free vote.

A vote took place on Monday (July 18) evening in the House of Commons, in which Mr Cairns joined the vast majority of his Conservative colleagues in backing the proposal.

Britain has four nuclear-armed submarines which patrol international waters.

It is estimated that, after renewal, they will last until the 2060s.

In a long running debate, supporters of Trident have claimed that the nuclear deterrent against rogue states has, and will continue to, keep Britain safe and is "vital" to the country's security.

But opponents have raised concerns about the cost of maintaining the nuclear deterrent and have argued whether it is needed.

Commenting on Trident, Mr Cairns said: “The defence of the UK is the foremost duty of HM Government, and a credible, continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent is the most crucial part of that defence.

"While other states, including North Korea and an increasingly assertive Russia, possess nuclear weapons it would be a gamble with the lives of the British people to abandon our own. Indeed it would also be reckless to neglect to upgrade our warhead delivery systems, remembering that out of date weapons do not deter.”

Speaking on the vote in Parliament, Mr Cairns said: “The large majority with which this vote passed reflects the understanding on both sides of the house that our nuclear deterrent is vital to the UK’s strategic security. Nuclear weapons do exist across the world and they cannot be un-invented. The temptation to take a unilateralist approach to disarmament could spell disaster. We must instead do our utmost to maintain public support for a credible deterrent, in this we must never falter and never fail.”