MONEY saved from scrapping Trident should be used to secure the futures of defence workers whose jobs would be threatened, Jeremy Corbyn has said, as Scottish Labour decided to debate the future of Britain's nuclear deterrent.

The UK Labour leader took a step towards reversing his party's support for Trident after delegates at the Scottish Labour conference in Perth voted overwhelmingly to debate the issue.

Scottish Labour is now expected to oppose the renewal of the missile system in a key vote at the end of tomorrow's (Sun) debate.

The decision would leave Scottish Labour at odds with UK Labour, which remains in favour of replacing Britain's nuclear-armed submarines.

But it would help the staunchly anti-Trident Mr Corbyn in his efforts to change party policy.

He used his keynote conference speech yesterday to reach out to trade unions which are concerned about the impact on jobs of scrapping Trident.

Quoting Labour hero Keir Hardie, he said the party founder was committed to "promoting peace and defending jobs".

He added: "We know there are skilled jobs in the defence industry.

"We cannot be negligent about skills and jobs. We must secure every one of them.

"But don’t tell me we can’t put those skills to better use: the innovators, the engineers, the technicians, the security staff and the civil servants too.

"No one should even consider allocating a penny saved on not renewing Trident until those skills and jobs are protected through a proper programme of diversification."

He added: "You will decide what position you must take on that – for the good of Scotland.

"Whatever you decide, it must be in solidarity with workers who may feel threatened and communities that may feel vulnerable."

Local party delegates and affiliated trade union representatives chose four issues for debate tomorrow from 17 options after a secret ballot at the start of the three-day gathering.

Trident emerged as the most important issue among both sections of the party, claiming 22 per cent of the constituency Labour party vote and 47 per cent of the union vote.

The conference will also debate the Government's controversial trade union bill, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) trade deal between the EU and US, and housing on 'members' day'.

Debates on schools and colleges and health and social care were narrowly rejected.

The announcement that Trident would be voted on was greeted with huge applause from the 500 activists at Perth Royal Concert Hall.

Ten local Labour parties submitted separate motions on the subject, in a further sign of the strength of feeling.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale opened the door to a possible conference debate in August.

She supports the renewal of the deterrent - which the Conservative Government is all but certain to approve next year - but yesterday echoed Mr Corbyn's comments, saying savings "can't be spent 12 ways" but should be invested in communities where jobs were lost.

The debate follows an agreement between Mr Corbyn and Ms Dugdale to give Scottish Labour full autonomy over policy-making, including on issues reserved to Westminster.

In an interview, shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said move made it possible for the party north of the Border to take a different position on Trident or other issues or "anything it wants".

However, he said that party would stand on a UK manifesto for the 2020 Westminster elections raising fresh questions over how Labour plans to reconcile policy differences.

Under pressure from trade unions, members at the UK Labour conference in Brighton opted not to discuss Trident.

But MSP Neil Findlay, who headed up Jeremy Corbyn's leadership campaign in Scotland, fought hard for a debate at the Scottish conference, telling colleagues they could not duck the issue.