Lib Dems call on Scottish Government to invest in national defence 

After raising the issue of skills shortages with the First Minister, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today urged SNP ministers to ensure Scotland can play a pivotal role in national defence by supporting jobs and key investment opportunities.

Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling on the Scottish Government to:

• Publish a plan showing how schools, colleges, apprenticeship programmes and universities will help provide the skills the sector requires
• Engage with the Scottish National Investment Bank’s board to consider further revisions to its Ethical Investment Policy, specifically to enable support for non-nuclear programmes of defence-related companies, including those involved in submarine programmes.
• Work with defence companies based in Scotland to ensure that the sector is fully supported as part of Scotland’s industrial strategy, subject to human rights checkpoints.
• Acknowledge the new security reality and engage constructively with the UK Government on how Scotland can contribute to the UK’s overall defence and resilience.

It comes after Mr Cole-Hamilton accused the Scottish Government of failing to train enough teachers in maths, physics and computing- subjects that develop so many of the skills required by the defence industry.

In April, the Chancellor announced that cities across the UK, including Glasgow, will share in the £2.2bn increase to defence spending.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said: 

“While defence is a reserved matter, there are still plenty of ways in which the Scottish Government can use its powers to build a more resilient defence industry. In this volatile world, that’s more important than ever before.

“On the SNP’s watch, we’re seeing very worrying teacher shortages in subjects like maths, physics and computing, which are vital to developing the skills the defence sector needs.

“To maximise the increase in defence spending that’s coming to Scotland and support the jobs that could create, the Scottish Government must prioritise recruiting more teachers in these areas and boosting skills.

“We also want to see ministers exploring new investment opportunities for Scotland’s national bank, including for non-nuclear programmes of defence-related companies, subject to human rights due diligence, such as submarine programmes.

“All of that is how Scotland can play a pivotal role in strengthening our defence capabilities and protecting our national security.”