Scottish independence: Defence Sec says Scots yards would not build UK ships, shipyards to close, thousands of job losses in Scotland, but SNP defence expert says Scots could join military for ‘better uniforms’, what next assless chaps and bandanas, going commando?

Dear All

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away……. Scotland’s unpopular Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon appeared on BBC Question time.

During the show, one of the Panel members made a statement; he said that Nicola Sturgeon couldn’t get anyone a job.

By the look on her face, that self evident truth didn’t go down too well with her, and it is true, Nicola Sturgeon can’t get people jobs.

As the defence debate on independence hots up, the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has given the starkest warning on the future of military shipbuilding on the Clyde.

The UK will not build its next generation of warships in Scotland if it becomes independent.

Thousands of ordinary working class people will be thrown onto the scrapheap, so is there a plan by Nicola Sturgeon to address this issue?

No!

There is no plan because Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon don’t give a monkey’s cuss about the plight of these workers.

And they should have, there should have been a plan to deal with this issue.

The UK Government hasn’t and will not build military warships outside the UK, several reasons apply, one of the key reasons is political, and Scotland has done well in getting its share, but that doesn’t mean we still wouldn’t want more!

In politics no such thing as greed when it comes to helping your constituents! 

Hammond’s speech to military top brass, business leaders and academics in Edinburgh is a warning shot across the bows for Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.

He says the Navy's new Type 26 frigates would benefit "UK industry" and only the "UK industry".

With UK military shipbuilding gone, and let’s face it, any serious politician watches out for their own, Hammond says that an independent Scotland would not commission enough new vessels to keep Scots yards in business.

Thousands of people in Glasgow would be out of work, and their suppliers would also take a massive hit, but we should remember that Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish National Party aren’t interested in standing up for Glasgow.

Recently, we found out that in Nicola Sturgeon’s MSP seat of Glasgow Southside, ordinary working class people were getting discriminated in healthcare provision, second class treatment in our own city.

Health is an area were there should be no discrimination, Nicola Sturgeon allowed this as Health Sec, then the SNP tried to cover it up by saying “special circumstances”.

But to return to a life at sea, on dry dock to be more accurate, we could see all shipbuilding on the Clyde……… end.

SNP's military plans as we are seeing are utter shit, last night on Newsnight Scotland: someone actually said that Scots might join the Scottish Army because of ‘better uniforms’!

Better uniforms?

What…… Assless chaps, bandanas and bandoliers hanging left to right?

People are now questioning whether an independent Scotland would be admitted to NATO, however, the recent change of heart by Salmond hasn’t convince me that the SNP are serious, I think like much of the SNP logic, this is smoke and mirrors just to win indy.

After indy fails, expect the SNP to abandon the NATO stance pretty quickly as Salmond and Sturgeon try and rebuild party unity and secure their positions from a possible leadership challenge.

Yes Scotland is the ‘human shield’ for Salmond and Sturgeon despite it being controlled by them behind the scenes.

Already, the UK is hedging its bets and resources, with the launch of a newly-built warship from the River Clyde having to be postponed due to a ‘technical issue’.

Technical issue, my arse, Scottish shipbuilders can produce anything with excellent quality and on time, this is politics, it lets people know in the wider Scottish sense, what loss actually means.

SNP plans to build new frigates for the Scottish Defence Force would not sustain the Clyde yards, Hammond said:

"In other words, despite the bluster, an independent Scottish Government would have to close Scotland's shipyards and procure its replacement warships either in the UK or abroad."

Although outsourcing is nothing new in military procurement, Norway placed orders with Spain for ships, but ideally, any country needs to think very carefully indeed, both militarily and politically, jobs have meaning, and military shipbuilding on the Clyde is historic and mystic in nature. It is part of the soul of a country such as Scotland with a huge military tradition, you would think Salmond and Sturgeon would realise this in their planning for independence.

But independence for them is based on spin, spin, spin and a few balloons, the ‘jolly fat man’ approach by Salmond as your ‘best pal’, he will see you alright, he will promise everyone everything, it’s all milk and honey in his promised land.

As well as the shipbuilding problem affecting thousands, there is also the warning of the limited career opportunities offered by the SNP's proposed Scottish Defence Force.

Hammond claimed:

"It is a significant gamble to assume that troops in our UK armed forces would volunteer for a Scottish Defence Force."

In an independent Scotland, it’s ‘join the Navy and see the Clyde’, hardly appealing when the UK military offers very much more in a very real sense.

SNP defence spokesman Angus Robertson accused the Defence Secretary of "attacking the SNP and Scotland".

No, Angus, Hammond is just attacking the SNP, actually he is watching out for Scotland’s back, he wants to keep thousands of workers building warships on the Clyde, he wants to get the best Scots into the military and offer them opportunities, and for those who aren’t the best, well he will see them trained up to that standard.

Perhaps Nicola Sturgeon can use her contacts to get to work on the new Scottish defence uniforms……..   Assless chaps, bandanas and bandoliers hanging left to right!

No one is coming to join Alex Salmond’s military.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University