Labour will continue to back the renewal of the Trident weapons system despite Jeremy Corbyn’s longstanding opposition to nuclear weapons, the new shadow defence secretary, Nia Griffith, has said.

The Llanelli MP used an interview with British Forces Broadcasting to confirm she would not “shilly-shally” by seeking to change a policy reaffirmed by the Labour conference in 2015. A spokesman confirmed that meant not revisiting the party’s position on the issue before 2020.

“I think we have to look where we are, we are already committed to trident going ahead and therefore we have to back that. We can’t be shilly-shallying about, a decision has been taken, that decision was actually taken back in 2007 and as I say that is an issue which we as a party have consistently voted to keep as our policy,” she said.



Griffith added that instead of seeking to block Trident, which the House of Commons overwhelmingly backed in July, she would focus her efforts on multilateral disarmament.



Nia Griffith, the shadow defence secretary Photograph: John Stilwell/PA

“What we do need to do now, and there is a very strong mood for this, both within the Labour party and in the broader public, is really push forward on the multilateral nuclear disarmament, on the multilateral approach of bringing people together across the globe to try to make our world a safer place,” she said.



Labour split three ways on the recent Trident motion, with Corbyn voting against, the shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry, and then shadow defence secretary, Clive Lewis, abstaining, and many Labour MPs backing renewal.

Griffith took the role after Lewis was moved sideways into the business brief, following an embarrassing incident at the Labour conference where he appeared to react angrily when the wording of his speech on Trident was altered at the last minute.

Griffith’s appointment was widely seen at the time as a signal that Corbyn, who has campaigned against nuclear weapons for decades, was uncomfortable with Lewis’s pledge not to alter Labour policy before the 2020 general election. But she reaffirmed the commitment Lewis made not to revisit the issue.



Meanwhile, Corbyn has announced more appointments to his frontbench, including the campaigning Dewsbury MP, Paula Sherriff, as the shadow member for women and equalities, and the MP for Birmingham Northfield, Richard Burden, who will be shadow transport secretary.

Sherriff coordinated a letter from more than 40 of Labour’s female MPs in July, calling on Corbyn to do more to tackle “escalating hostility and abuse” within the party.

Rosie Winterton, whose sacking as chief whip angered many Labour MPs, has accepted a job as Labour party envoy to sister parties across Europe in the run-up to Brexit, including acting as Labour’s representative in the Party of European Socialists, which brings together left-of-centre groups across Europe.

“Rosie has a wealth of knowledge and experience and will be a real asset in helping the Labour party develop closer links with our sister parties around the world and I am absolutely delighted that she has agreed to serve in this important role for the Labour party,” Corbyn said, adding that he had asked her to accompany him on a trip to meet the Party of European Socialists next week.

Asked whether the seven new appointments – plus Winterton’s post – meant Corbyn’s reshuffle was finally complete, a spokesman said there would be further announcements in the days ahead, including relieving of one of his two roles, as shadow Scotland and Northern Ireland secretaries.

The defence secretary, Michael Fallon, travelled to the giant BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria this month to see the first steel cut for the new Successor submarines, which will replace the ageing Vanguard fleet.

The Labour MP for Barrow and Furness, John Woodcock, sometimes a vehement critic of Corbyn, welcomed Griffith’s statement. “This is very welcome and sensible from the new shadow defence secretary. Nia has taken over the brief in unusual and difficult times but she will generate much good will with this pragmatic recognition that the Trident decision has been taken,” he said.