Scotland’s shipyards could lose jobs if the UK Government fails to significantly invest in defence, a Labour MSP has warned.
Paul Sweeney called on Keir Starmer to “seriously step up” spending on the Armed Forces after John Healey dramatically resigned as Defence Secretary yesterday.
Healey’s exit is the latest blow to the Prime Minister’s authority after a furious row between the Ministry of Defence and the UK Treasury over how to fund new technologies at a time of rising threats around the world.
Sweeney, a former shipyard worker, said there was already a “deep unease” on the Clyde over the UK Government’s failure to commit to the next generation of warships needed by the Royal Navy.
Healey helped negotiate a landmark £10bn deal in 2025 which will see at least five Type 26 frigates built for the Norwegian navy at the Govan and Scotstoun yards.
But there are fears the UK Government may scrap plans to build a new generation of Type 83 destroyers which are desperately needed by the Senior Service.
Sweeney told the Record any delays to future shipbuilding programmes could have dire consequences for Glasgow’s specialist naval architecture sector.
He said: “I’ve been hearing from industry a deep unease, despite the recent successes around the Norway frigate deal, which has significantly extended the Type 26 programme on the Clyde.
“There has been nervousness that without a firm commitment on new programmes, we will see a potential threat to jobs on the design engineering side.
“If the teams designing the ships don’t have work to carry on with, there will be job losses in these key areas of naval architecture – and Glasgow of course has one of the biggest clusters of naval architecture and naval design engineering anywhere in the world.
“To keep a constant flow of shipbuilding we need certainty around the defence investment plan.”
Sweeney said the loss of Healey was a huge setback for the UK Government.
He added: “I know John Healey very well as a colleague and he is someone I have the greatest respect for.
“Implementation of the strategic defence review has been delayed and a critical part of that is the delay for months of the defence investment plan due to a struggle with the Treasury over the capital funding needed for it.
“We know there is a £20 billion shortfall in the defence programme, and that includes submarines, frigates, new drone technologies and the successors to the Type 45 destroyers.
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“We need a significant uplift in investment – and if that means testing the fiscal rules, given the critical nature of defence requirements, then so be it.
“I think this calls on the Prime Minister to make a serious decision about the nature of his leadership. I think his inability to arbitrate between the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence on this critical issues is deeply disappointing, and unfortunately a very credible and very effective Defence Secretary has felt that he has had no other option but to resign.
“The PM has to seriously step up now and unashamedly commit the Government to the investment that is necessary to safeguard our national security.”