Extra UK defence spending means a shipbuilding boom for Scotland – Defence Secretary Grant Shapps

These skills have long helped forge Scotland, and Britain’s, proud naval history. Whether it’s the famous Cutty Sark, which hundreds of thousands of visitors see every year in Greenwich, HMS Hood, which struck a significant blow in the sinking of the Bismarck, or the Royal Yacht Britannia, which proudly sailed the world hosting the Royal Family – ships built on the Clyde have always been at the heart of our naval power.

Two weeks ago, the Prime Minister and I announced a significant expansion in our defence spending. Backed by a growing budget, which will see us spend 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product on defence by the end of this decade, Scotland will continue to see the benefits of not just our investment in shipbuilding, but our wider defence presence.

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Over £2 billion is spent every year with the UK defence industry in Scotland. This is fuelling jobs and growth, with more than 12,000 Scottish jobs supported through this spending. And of course, Faslane is the proud home of our nuclear deterrent, which silently keeps both this country and our Nato allies safe and secure, every minute of every day.

It is in sharp contrast to the SNP Scottish Government, which has pledged only to meet the Nato minimum spend of two per cent – without any explanation of how that commitment would be met. That level of funding would also mean the decimation of Scotland’s traditional armed forces.

Until recently, the SNP was in coalition with the Scottish Greens – a party who incredibly do not believe in Nato membership at all, even at a time when the world is more contested than it has been for decades. And of course the SNP has said it wants to get rid of the nuclear deterrent – a move which as Defence Secretary I know more than anyone would be a grave error we would forever regret. Labour, of course, has still not pledged to meet our 2.5 per cent pledge – and instead will waste months and years with reviews and studies at a time when what we need is to fully get behind our forces and allies.

But what does this enduring commitment that the British Government are happy to make get us? A new shipbuilding boom is the answer. Both on the Clyde and in the historic shipyards of Rosyth, the brightest minds and skilled hands are building the most advanced frigates the Royal Navy has ever seen.

In Govan, which I visited yesterday, the Type 26 frigates have secured the long-term future of shipbuilding on the Clyde, with eight on order or in construction. On the Forth, five Type 31 frigates are being built in Rosyth, sustaining 2,500 jobs and increasing our export potential.

Overall, 5,000 jobs will be created or sustained across this shipbuilding bonanza, including 1,000 apprentices – ensuring we maintain and invest in the key science and engineering skills of the future. All this is possible because of our commitment both to Scotland and expanding our defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP.

So this government’s message is clear, and we’re backing it up with action, not words. Through our increased defence spending, Scotland will continue to be the heart of British shipbuilding and our naval power for generations to come.

Grant Shapps MP is Defence Secretary