The Scottish Secretary has warned defence contracts serviced in Fife would be at risk in an independent Scotland.
Michael Moore made the claim on Monday during a visit to Babcock International in Rosyth for an update on progress on the Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier.
The Liberal Democrat minister described Babcock as a ”forward thinking” company with the capability to develop beyond its current remit. But he warned an independent Scotland would not be in ”the front line” of future UK defence contracting, limiting what could be done at Rosyth.
”Scotland plays a key role in supporting the UK’s defence sector and the progress being made on the next generation of our aircraft carriers shows the commitment and skill of our workforce,” he said. ”The work is supporting not only jobs and the expertise which has been built up over decades, but also smaller companies in the supply and local communities.
”Being part of the UK means Scotland maintains access to this sort of spending and I am keen to see that continue. There is no doubt that the issue of a referendum continues to cause uncertainty in the sector and it is important for the future of Scotland’s defence industries and the many thousands who work in them for the issue to be cleared up as soon as possible.”
Mr Moore’s comments echoed a warning by Chancellor George Osborne over the weekend that ”uncertainty” about the referendum was ”damaging investment in Scotland”.
Mr Moore added: ”It’s not just what we have been saying. It’s about what people like CBI Scotland have very firmly put on the record and the concerns raised by Citigroup in their report on renewables three weeks ago.
”There is no escaping the fact that the uncertainty over the future place of Scotland, within the UK or outside it, is one of the factors that businesses are taking into account as they make forward-investment decisions.”
But Michael Pettigrew, managing director at Babcock’s Rosyth marine division, said the firm is ”apolitical” on independence.
He added: ”Babcock by its very nature serve a number of government sector bodies. It’s never going to have a political opinion.”
He said Babcock’s future beyond the carriers could lie in renewable energy projects, or in decommissioning nuclear sites.
”The future of Rosyth for most of this decade will be aircraft carrier-driven,” he said. ”Beyond that, because it’s such a fantastic facility with an undoubtedly capable workforce and highly productive workforce, it will have opportunities in its existing markets but also alternative markets.”
Work on the Queen Elizabeth class is anticipated to create or sustain around 5,000 jobs at shipyards in Fife and Glasgow alone, as well as around 2,000-3,000 in the supply chain.
Babcock employs around 2,500 people between its west and east coast shipyards, and the Queen Elizabeth programme has seen the company employ over 150 apprentices at Rosyth.
But finance secretary John Swinney pointed out Scottish entrepreneur Jim McColl had rejected the claims uncertainty around independence is damaging the economy.
”The UK Government’s scaremongering has come well and truly unstuck within the space of 24 hours it is wholly unsubstantiated, and has been comprehensively rejected by Scotland’s leading business person and entrepreneur.
”The people of Scotland are going to believe Jim McColl not a Tory Chancellor and his Lib Dem ally who are trying to talk Scotland down and sabotage Scottish jobs.”