Corbyn in Scotland to call for ships deal
JEREMY Corbyn will today use the Clyde shipyards as a backdrop as he calls for naval shipbuilding contracts to stay in the UK.
In a speech in Govan, Glasgow, the Labour leader will demand that three new Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels must be built in Britain.
The Tory Government are preparing to put the £1billion contract for building the ships out to international tender.
The last contract for fleet supply vessels, which are not considered to be warships, went to a South Korean yard.
Labour, the SNP and trade unions argue that securing the investment for the UK’s shipyards would create about 6500 jobs and support other British industries, including steel.
Ahead of the visit, Corbyn accused the Government of “trashing the tradition of British shipbuilding from Plymouth to Rosyth”.
He said: “We are calling on the Government to guarantee that these three new ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary will be built in domestic shipyards.
“Building these ships in Britain would benefit those working in and supporting our world-class shipbuilding industry.
“More than 6500 workers could be employed through this contract, 1800 of them in shipyards.
“Decisive public intervention in support of this vital industry would protect it from anti-competitive practices from overseas.
He added: “Our shipyards used to produce half of all new ships worldwide. Our market share is now less than half a per cent. The Tories seem hell-bent on accelerating and deepening this industrial decline.
“Shipbuilding is not a lame duck. It can have a hi-tech, high-skilled and exciting future in the UK.”