The Scottish National Party (SNP) has been criticised for failing to attend a shipbuilding ceremony at BAE Systems in Govan to mark the start of the construction of HMS Birmingham, as first reported exclusively by the Scottish Daily Express.

The absence of Scottish Government ministers at the event celebrating the £4.2bn contract to build eight anti-submarine warships on the River Clyde was described as a “snub” by Glasgow-based Tory MSP Sandesh Gulhane.

Although a UK Government minister attended the event, the Scottish Government did not send any cabinet members, and BAE Systems’ invitation to former finance secretary Kate Forbes and ex-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon went unanswered until the day before the ceremony.

The event held on 17th March was a significant milestone for the Type 26 programme and was seen as a huge boost for the industry. The contract is expected to sustain shipbuilding on the Clyde for some time to come.

Glasgow-based Tory MSP Sandesh Gulhane told the Scottish Daily Express, “The SNP had plenty of time and opportunity to send a local MSP if ministers felt they couldn’t. Perhaps the SNP’s own shambolic efforts at building ferries led them to stay away. This was a snub to BAE and to shipbuilding on the Clyde.”

BAE Systems’ managing director Sir Simon Lister reportedly received an apology email from Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, in which he attempted to smooth any ill-will from the no-show.

Gray wrote, “Please accept my apologies that we were unable to provide a minister to represent the Scottish Government on the day. I want to reassure you that we value the role that BAE’s yards in Govan and Scotstoun play as both a large employer in Glasgow, and as a significant contributor to the wider Scottish economy via the local supply chain.”

The Scottish Daily Express was the first to report on this here.

More about the event

Defence Procurement Minister Alex Chalk presided over the ceremony marking the start of construction on the future HMS Birmingham at BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard in Glasgow today.

The event signified the beginning of work on the fourth of eight Type 26 frigates, with apprentice burner Ciaran Baillie and fabricator-plater Jamie Finnegan performing the steel cut.

The work, say BAE, is sustaining approximately 1,700 jobs in Scotland and 4,000 across the UK maritime supply chain. The company plans to hire an additional 400 tradespeople and 200 apprentices for the programme in 2023.

The first three Type 26 ships are in various stages of construction, with HMS Glasgow at BAE Systems’ Scotstoun shipyard for systems installation, HMS Cardiff being assembled, and HMS Belfast in early construction.

The £4.2bn contract for the remaining five ships, including HMS Birmingham, demonstrates the Ministry of Defence’s confidence in the programme.

George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison

15 COMMENTS

  1. Hi folks hope all is well.
    I would imagine the SNP are having some difficulty in trying to sort out their position considering recent events. They were probably scrabbling around finding an appropriate minister with interest in defence. Because this is a positive event, the SNP find it difficult to contribute. If it was a chance to be negative against HM Government they’d be queing up to attend!
    Cheers
    George

    • What is required from the SNP is some maturity and public recognition of the current success in warship building in Scotland. I’m sure those involved in the shipbuilding industry are not impressed by the SNP’s position in this matter.

    • Not that I am defending the SNP because I can’t stand them but why would we expect the first minister of Scotland to attend an event every time first steel is cut for a ship.

    • Ensconced with their legal advisers on cobbling together a story? Or taking memory loss to new heights?

  2. Sadly an SNP spokesperson said “the current false allegations levelled at certain elements of our glorious politburo by the Westminster controlled Police Scotland preclude our attendance at anything other than meetings with lawyers”. The spokesperson also added ” and of course, the Scottish governments focus will, in future, be on ferries, warships are way too a complex issue for a Marxist regime like ours”.

  3. It would be like the present colliding with the future.

    The SNP’s fantasy position of NO WARSHIPS would collide with the reality of steel being cut.

  4. I get the feeling the tide is beginning to rush out on the SNP….one of the really important benefits of having a Labour government would be a draining away of the issues around the Union. To be honest even if they turn out to be a bit of a none entity government (useless) just the stability of the union is vital. The rightly or wrongly conservative brand is just too toxic in Scotland and that is probably the biggest existential threat to our nation at present. We need to get a Labour movement back in Scotland as well as some time for the Scottish conservatives party to rebuild its brand.

  5. Possibly no accommodation available as their “camper van” has been impounded by the Jock plod 😇👍!

  6. It might be wise for MSPs to focus on devolved powers which should be being dealt with by the Scotish Parliament & avoid other distractions. It is quite likely that the SNP will cease to be – leaving a lot if independent politicians – some of which will be looking for a party. Independence might become a toxic subject in the short term only re-surfacing when all these troubles die down and the next generation wish to make their voices heard.

  7. This is just one more reason , and God knows there are many, why devolution needs to be terminated. Those out there who agree with me go to the website UK Petitions and vote. If you, like me, are interested in the defence and security of this country defence, energy and agriculture needs to be in one centralised place run by politicians that every so often can be voted out ! So please, please add your name to the petition. It’s one positive thing us armchair gunners and Generals can do to help keep this country safe.

  8. And if they had send somebody George you red meat article would have read “SNP avoiding the day job by standing about watching steel being cut”

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