Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP has called on the Scottish Government to seize the economic opportunity presented by a major uplift in UK defence spending, warning that Scotland risks missing out without a clearer commitment to the sector.
Writing to Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes ahead of Armed Forces Day, Greene highlighted the projected rise in UK defence spending to 2.6% of GDP by 2027, announced in the UK Government’s June Spending Review. The increase follows cross-party calls for a clear path to 3%, as well as for the reversal of previous reductions in military personnel.
Scotland is expected to benefit directly from the spending increase. Notable commitments include £250 million over three years for the Faslane submarine base and a share of £4.5 billion in munitions investments, with Glasgow identified among the recipients. Reports also suggest that billions more could be channelled into Scottish firms specialising in advanced technologies such as drones, satellites, missile systems and communications platforms over the next decade.
Greene, who represents the West of Scotland, warned that while the scale of investment is significant, the Scottish Government must ensure that local communities and businesses are in a position to benefit. In his letter, he wrote: “Scotland’s defence industry currently supports more than 14,000 jobs and generated £1bn for the economy in 2023 alone. If those communities are to reap the benefits of this spending increase, and I believe they should, the Scottish Government must also play its part.”
He expressed concern over the health of Scotland’s STEM education pipeline, pointing to ongoing teacher shortages in key subjects like physics, maths and computer science, all of which are critical to defence innovation and manufacturing. Greene also criticised what he described as an “anti-sector narrative” in Scottish politics, referencing Scottish Enterprise’s decision not to support a proposed Rolls-Royce welding centre in Glasgow as an example of mixed messaging.
“At the moment there are worrying gaps in Scotland’s skills pipeline,” Greene wrote. “The Liberal Democrats have repeatedly raised the issue of teacher shortages in key subjects including maths, chemistry, physics, biology and computer sciences, all of which are vital to developing the skills which will be required by the defence sector.”
His letter asked the Deputy First Minister for clarity on three points: what the Scottish Government is doing to attract defence investment, how it plans to address STEM teacher shortages, and whether it supports a long-term role for the defence industry in Scotland.
Beyond the letter, the Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling for a comprehensive plan linking education and skills training to defence sector needs. They also want the Scottish Government to work with the Scottish National Investment Bank to revisit ethical investment policies, particularly in relation to supporting non-nuclear defence programmes and dual-use technologies.
Greene argued that defence investment should be seen not only in terms of national security but also as a key component of industrial strategy. “The defence sector, coupled with our armed forces presence, contributes financially, educationally and socially in the communities they operate in,” he wrote. “I hope on that point we have agreement.”
The Liberal Democrats are urging ministers at Holyrood to engage constructively with Westminster to ensure Scotland’s contribution to UK defence and resilience is fully realised.
