Independence risks shipbuilding says Defence Secretary

During a visit to the BAE Systems shipyard in Glasgow, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps highlighted the potential economic risks of Scottish independence on the UK’s military shipbuilding industry.

Myself and other journalists were invited to tag along and ask questions.

Speaking to Shapps in the ‘Robert Napier Building’, an office block within the shipyard, under the bow of the massive Type 26 frigate HMS Cardiff, I sought clarification on the shipyard’s future both within the UK and outside the UK.

I asked, “So, we’re sitting in front of the second of eight Type 26 Frigates. Now, once that programme is done, can Scottish builders count on future work on Type 83 or Type 32, and with Scottish independence once again a talking point, will this workforce come to Scotland from the UK Government if Scotland were to be independent?”

In his response, Shapps began by acknowledging the current state of shipbuilding in Glasgow, “This is a magnificent Type 26, HMS Cardiff, out the window behind us and I have just been having a look around some of the new build technology and the approach to building, it is fantastic.”

Shapps added, “I’ve actually just also come back from Australia a month or two ago, and the Osborne shipyard in Adelaide where they are building their Hunter version of the Type 26, and there’s a shed here called the Osborne, or location, where they’re learning backwards and bringing it in, some of the skills they’ve learned, into this programme here. So it’s already massive international collaboration, not just the Australians, but the Canadians too. Of course, we know there’s potentially other export markets as well or joint endeavours and joint ventures.”

Would independence end UK naval shipbuilding in Scotland? The UK Government believes so. Our editor @geoallison asked Defence Secretary @grantshapps today under the shadow of the new Type 26 Frigate HMS Cardiff at the BAE Systems shipyard in Glasgow; here's what he had to say. pic.twitter.com/NfR5FOOode

— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) May 9, 2024

Answering the question of whether Scottish shipyards can expect more work, Shapps told me, “So, I think my sense is, a really bright future for this shipyard and others in Scotland, sadly, all of which will be put at risk by some of the Scottish nationalist rhetoric, which seems to think that the 25,000 jobs which come from those who both work in the UK military, and are Scottish, and also who work in the industry.”

Turning to the broader implications for employment and economic investment, Shapps warned, “25,000 jobs a year in Scotland would be put at risk, 2 billion pounds and growing each year spent by the MOD building these types of things would be put at risk.”

Concluding, Shapps reflected on the personal impact on workers, particularly younger apprentices who are seeing significant benefits from their involvement in the shipbuilding industry. “I just met apprentices this morning, who tell me that their friends are envious of both the work that they do the sort of job titles that you end up with when you do some of this work, but also the pay. And often if they’re doing a degree apprenticeship or, or straight apprenticeship, the lack of debt to get this far as well. It’s an amazing opportunity and I think it’s something that Scotland is rightly proud of, and it’s a shame not all representatives feel the same way.”