Labour on the 16 April accused David Cameron of being "completely irresponsible" over Britain's nuclear weapons policy after the Conservative leader suggested that the UK would need to retain an independent deterrent because of uncertainty over Chinese foreign policy.
Seeking to capitalise on what Labour sees as a gaffe by Mr Cameron in the live TV leaders' debate on Thursday night, David Miliband, foreign secretary, said the UK public should be "very worried indeed" at the way in which the Conservative leader had insulted "one of the great powers of the world".
In the course of the debate, Mr Cameron responded to a statement by Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, that the Lib Dems would not approve a "like-for-like" replacement of the current submarine-launched version of the UK's independent nuclear deterrent.