Scottish Secretary claims Scotland would lose defence contracts under independence
The Scottish Secretary has warned defence contracts serviced in Fife would be at risk in an independent Scotland.
Rosyth has seen massive investment to support major defence contracts.
- By David Clegg, political editor
- Published in the Courier : 15.11.11
- Published online : 15.11.11 @ 11.04am
Michael Moore made the claim on Monday during a visit to Babcock International in Rosyth for an update on progress on the Royal Navy's new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier.
The Liberal Democrat minister described Babcock as a ''forward thinking'' company with the capability to develop beyond its current remit. But he warned an independent Scotland would not be in ''the front line'' of future UK defence contracting, limiting what could be done at Rosyth.
''Scotland plays a key role in supporting the UK's defence sector and the progress being made on the next generation of our aircraft carriers shows the commitment and skill of our workforce,'' he said. ''The work is supporting not only jobs and the expertise which has been built up over decades, but also smaller companies in the supply and local communities.
''Being part of the UK means Scotland maintains access to this sort of spending and I am keen to see that continue. There is no doubt that the issue of a referendum continues to cause uncertainty in the sector and it is important for the future of Scotland's defence industries and the many thousands who work in them for the issue to be cleared up as soon as possible.''
Mr Moore's comments echoed a warning by Chancellor George Osborne over the weekend that ''uncertainty'' about the referendum was ''damaging investment in Scotland''.
Mr Moore added: ''It's not just what we have been saying. It's about what people like CBI Scotland have very firmly put on the record and the concerns raised by Citigroup in their report on renewables three weeks ago.
''There is no escaping the fact that the uncertainty over the future place of Scotland, within the UK or outside it, is one of the factors that businesses are taking into account as they make forward-investment decisions.''
But Michael Pettigrew, managing director at Babcock's Rosyth marine division, said the firm is ''apolitical'' on independence.
He added: ''Babcock by its very nature serve a number of government sector bodies. It's never going to have a political opinion.''
He said Babcock's future beyond the carriers could lie in renewable energy projects, or in decommissioning nuclear sites.
''The future of Rosyth for most of this decade will be aircraft carrier-driven,'' he said. ''Beyond that, because it's such a fantastic facility with an undoubtedly capable workforce and highly productive workforce, it will have opportunities in its existing markets but also alternative markets.''
Work on the Queen Elizabeth class is anticipated to create or sustain around 5,000 jobs at shipyards in Fife and Glasgow alone, as well as around 2,000-3,000 in the supply chain.
Babcock employs around 2,500 people between its west and east coast shipyards, and the Queen Elizabeth programme has seen the company employ over 150 apprentices at Rosyth.
But finance secretary John Swinney pointed out Scottish entrepreneur Jim McColl had rejected the claims uncertainty around independence is damaging the economy.
''The UK Government's scaremongering has come well and truly unstuck within the space of 24 hours — it is wholly unsubstantiated, and has been comprehensively rejected by Scotland's leading business person and entrepreneur.
''The people of Scotland are going to believe Jim McColl — not a Tory Chancellor and his Lib Dem ally who are trying to talk Scotland down and sabotage Scottish jobs.''
01.00pm - 15.11.2011 Dee4Life - Dundee, Scotland Report This
That's what we need is more English Tory MPs coming up to Scotland to rubbish the natives. The truth is that that the only reason there is a need to refit aircraft carriers is because the Coalition could not afford to cancel them as they wanted to do. It has nothing to do with independence.
02.15pm - 15.11.2011 State The Obvious - Dundee, Alba Report This
well its hardly a shock that a british nationalist like Michael Moore would spout such nonsense.
06.03pm - 15.11.2011 L.S. - Leeds, YORKSHIRE, England, U.K. Report This
Military contract is desperatly sought for. Why should we English put our money into a country that does want to stay with s, when those £bn's could keep Englsh yards open?
06.17pm - 15.11.2011 Bill Dryden - Carnoustie, ALBA Report This
Who are we defending ourselves against anyway?
10.52pm - 15.11.2011 David W - Dundee, Scotland UK Report This
I just love way the SNP simply dismiss all points that disagree with their viewpoint. England would allow s to keep sterling and whilst Swinney moans daily about not having real powers he has handed back tax powers AND would keep England's interest rates. And YET they still claim it's negativity.
10.57pm - 15.11.2011 rob r - dundee, scotland Report This
sorry but what remains of the uk would not be prepared to keep giving our shipyards their lucrative contracts. such thinking is the stuff of fantasy.
07.38am - 16.11.2011 Frankie - Dundee, Scotland Report This
As usual the S.N.P. answer is to claim it is all negativity. I see no argument from A. Salmond, only vague statements. Without a share of this guaranteed work ours would close. There is NO scaremongering, only a prediction of what is on the horizon.
10.24am - 16.11.2011 Ann - Dunfermline, Scotland Report This
I'm starting to get fed up listening to all the scaremongering by the "Unionist Parties". What are afraid of?
12.17pm - 17.11.2011 Seonaid Donaldson - Dundee, Alba Report This
30 years ago we had numerous shipyards on both the east and west coast of Scotland, employing tens of thousands of workers - today what do we have left? Hardly a great advert for what we supposedly get for being part of the UK.
02.38pm - 17.11.2011 Alexander - Montrose, Angus Report This
France is building 2 large warships for Russia now, there is no reason why Scotland's shipyards could not win contracts from all over the world, including the UK.
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