Conspiracy theories will thrive at the news that the so-called ‘main gate’ decision on renewing the UKs Trident nuclear weapons system is likely to be taken before next May’s Holyrood elections.

Taking the decision in the run up to the Scottish Parliament vote could expose splits in Labour over the issue. This is scarcely difficult given that the UK party has a leader, in Jeremy Corbyn, who opposes renewal, while national policy officially supports it, yet the Scottish party voted by landslide to scrap the nuclear weapons only last weekend.

But there is a view within Scottish party that the stance taken by members at its conference may do as much good as harm, by undermining perceptions that Scottish Labour is still merely a branch office of the London party, and by eliminating one of the key policy issues which the SNP has used to woo away unilateralist would-be supporters.

A focus on Trident might not help the SNP either, in the context of the Holyrood vote. Former leader Alex Salmond, in these pages, suggested recently that a decision to renew might be sufficient to trigger a second independence referendum. But his successor Nicola Sturgeon has endeavoured to reassure voters that such a vote is off the table at present, and to focus on domestic matters, especially for the Scottish elections.

That focus would be desirable for all concerned. For while the decision on whether to spend up to £167bn over the lifetime of a replacement system is a crucial one and there are major questions to be asked about the cost, and about the morality of nuclear weapons, and about the impact on jobs, yet the decision is not, as it stands, one for the Scottish Parliament.

If information from senior UK Government sources is accurate, and the crucial decision to press ahead with procurement is taken before May, the heat generated by the issue could dominate Scottish political debates.

There may be no intention to disrupt the Holyrood elections by the UK Government, which strongly supports renewing Trident and sees the issue primarily as one of national security (although some may suspect otherwise). That doesn’t mean the decision would not have such an effect.

But debate must be focused on areas in which the next Scottish Government will have a direct remit. Voters need answers about the SNP government’s record and the policies of those who would replace it. Should hospital care be more centralised, how desirable is testing in schools and what would be the unintended consequences? How can the problems of the further education sector be addressed and what direction should Police Scotland take in future? What measures will lead to economic growth in Scotland and address worrying unemployment figures?

These are just some of the many issues of significant concern, within the purview of the Scottish Parliament, which risk being drowned out by an inflammatory debate over Trident. All the Scottish parties have stated their intention to focus on domestic matters. Given the potential timing of a decision, Trident must not be allowed to dominate.