Jeremy Corbyn is helping the Tories by fighting Trident renewal, Shadow Defence Secretary claims

Clive Lewis reignites row as Labour leader is accused of 'running scared' of the media

Jeremy Corbyn speaks at a CND rally against Trident renewal (NIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP/Getty Images)

Shadow Defence Secretary Clive Lewis has reignited Labour’s Trident row by warning Jeremy Corbyn that pushing for nuclear disarmament is helping the Tories.

A defiant Mr Lewis – just hours after being ordered to water down his conference speech – said his leader would be “picking the scab” by refusing to accept that Labour policy is to renew Trident.

The comments came as Mr Corbyn was accused of “running scared” of answering questions about the bust-up, after he cancelled a round of TV interviews planned for tomorrow morning.

Earlier, a bid by Mr Lewis to prevent any future attempt to make unilateral disarmament party policy was scrapped at the last minute – on orders from Mr Corbyn’s office.

A TV camera captured Mr Lewis’ angry reaction as his speech was altered on the platform autocue as he was about to get to his feet to deliver it.

A post-it note informed Mr Lewis that must not say he “would not seek to change” his party's current policy of backing renewal of the UK's Trident submarines.

Instead, he told the conference: “I am clear that our party has a policy for Trident renewal,” – without a guarantee there would be no future attempt to overturn that stance.

Later, speaking at the international policy forum on the fringe of the Labour conference in Liverpool, Mr Lewis was reported as saying it was time to stop “picking the scab” and move on.

An MP in the room told the Politico website that Mr Lewis said: “We have established party policy on this. We are a democratic party and we should now move on, otherwise the Tories will use it as an ambush.

“You don’t have to go to Sandhurst [a training facility for British military officers] to know you shouldn’t walk into an ambush. There’s no point in picking a scab.”

Kevan Jones, a former Labour defence minister, criticised Mr Corbyn for dodging media scrutiny, telling The Independent: “Clive Lewis tried to take a sensible view.

“If Jeremy Corbyn disagrees with that, he should explain why – avoiding questions on this important issue is not the way forward."

And a Liberal Democrat spokesman said: “Corbyn is running scared of answering questions about his dysfunctional leadership and his dysfunctional party. He is obsessed with re-fighting the battles of the past.”

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said “diary management” meant the interviews would have to be fitted in later this week, adding: “He did 28 regional TV appearances today.”