MoD shipbuilding plans "nothing to do with ambition"
Posted on September 6 2017 at 13:36
SNP Defence spokesperson
Stewart McDonald MP has said that the UK government's long overdue shipbuilding
strategy is 'nothing to do with ambition' and is 'all about squeezing costs to
the bone' for conventional defence - which leaves real uncertainties for
the long term future of workers at Scottish shipyards.
The MoD announcement today (Wednesday) about the Tories future shipbuilding
plans in the UK is the long promised response to the Parker review - delayed a
number of times since last autumn.
The Tories have continued to put pressure on conventional defence budgets - while
spending on the renewal of Trident is spiralling up - out of any kind of
control.
Stewart McDonald MP commented :
‘’This has been very long awaited – long promised and is depressingly as
expected from this UK government. It is nothing to do with ambition – it
is all about squeezing costs to the bone and cutting corners, and still leaves
real uncertainties for the future for workers at Scottish shipyards and
the communities that depend on them.
‘’We have been told time and again by the Tories about guarantees and promises
across defence – only to find they are broken or forgotten.
‘’The SNP priority will always be to protect the skills and
maintain excellence of those workforces. The Tories have a shocking record on
cutting conventional defence spending year after year – while continuing
with their obscenely expensive Trident obsession whose costs are out of control
- meanwhile this looks like cover for yet more Tory cuts in
shipbuilding.’’
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