There is a “great chance” that 100 jobs building Trident missile tubes are the tip of the iceberg for Fife, the Scottish Conservative leader has said.
Ruth Davidson pledged to fight for more work locally after Defence Secretary Michael Fallon unveiled an investment package worth £642 million in the controversial deterrent.
The SNP, however, accused the UK Government of trying “to renew this nuclear arsenal by stealth without bothering to consult the House of Commons”.
No date has been set as yet for MPs to vote on Trident renewal.
The Courier revealed last December that launchpads for deadly missiles on Britain’s new nuclear submarines are being built by the Forth.
Babcock has contracts in Fife for fabrication work on five of the 17 missile tubes so far through Invergowrie-born Mr Fallon’s investment in the Faslane-based fleet.
Writing for The Courier, Ms Davidson said: “So far the firm has secured around £30m of work from this enormous contract, safeguarding 100 jobs in the area.
“I know there’s a great chance of more work coming their way, and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that happens.
“The deal announced by Defence Secretary Michael Fallon yesterday was just a small part of a £642m package of investment going to firms right across the UK, as well as to the Forth.”
About half of the money is to be spent on new industrial facilities at BAE Systems in Barrow and Rolls-Royce in Derby, which the Ministry of Defence describe as helping to set up “the infrastructure needed to ensure the most efficient build of the new submarines”.
SNP defence spokesman Brendan O’Hara called on ministers to “come clean” on Trident spending, given there has not been a single vote at Westminster on a new fleet.
He said: “The UK Government are pushing ahead, spending hundreds of millions more of taxpayers’ money on preparing for these obscene and redundant weapons.
“This comes the same week that the Chancellor is warning about more cuts on the way because his numbers don’t add up and the endless Tory assault on welfare and pensions continues.
“Trident is an immoral, obscene and redundant weapons system. The SNP will vote against nuclear weapons at every opportunity and in the interests of democracy, that opportunity must come soon.”
During Thursday’s First Minister’s Questions, Nicola Sturgeon insisted Faslane could continue as a naval base without nuclear weapons, despite union and opposition warnings that it is “pie in the sky” to believe the current highly-paid and skilled jobs can be maintained.
Ms Davidson insisted “if the subs go, the jobs go”.
But the SNP leader said the £167 billion being spent on renewing Trident could be better used supporting “conventional” defence jobs and public services.