Stop the spats and save the shipyards
Government accused of breaking promises
SHIPYARDS have been treated as pawns in a political game for too long.
Two days after the latest Tory let-down, union leaders say enough is enough.
They described it as a “body blow” to workers and local communities.
And they decry the “hollow words” uttered by successive Tory ministers. Their reaction is understandable. Of course, the MoD insist everything is still full steam ahead. Well, tell us something we’ve not heard before.
From frigate factories to order numbers, nothing seems dependable.
But there’s more to this than political pledges – there’s the whole foundation of the sector to worry about.
It relies on defence spending when there’s very little cash to go around.
Workers can’t even be sure some naval vessels will be built in the UK.
The whole strategy is a mess and a proud workforce are left wondering what’s next.
As always, there’s a second scrap going on about Scotland’s constitutional future, just to add to the sorry situation.
Labour and the SNP never quite manage to focus on the real obstacle, too often pointing the finger at each other instead.
So we’re treated to online spats about what would happen after independence, or who’s got the biggest yard in their patch.
Both need to quit the distracting turf battle – and get on with holding the Conservatives to account.
A LEADING shipbuilders’ union last night condemned the Tory Government’s “hollow words” on promised construction deals yesterday.
The GMB are furious that a tender for the next wave of Royal Navy frigates was halted because no one could meet the cut-price cost.
The Ministry of Defence admitted on Tuesday they had been forced to delay the Type 31e Frigate project, worth about £250million per ship.
It could have brought work to Ferguson Marine on the Clyde and at Rosyth in Fife.
GMB official Ross Murdoch said jobs are being put in jeopardy at yards across Britain.
He added: “This is a real body blow to many shipbuilding workers and their families the length and breadth of the UK.
“Some are already seeing significant redundancies as the carrier programme runs down, while others are in shipyards with a distinct lack of future orders, meaning they will see nothing but a gloomy future ahead.
“Depending on which consortium would have been successful, these ships potentially could have brought work to Scotland on the Clyde and at Rosyth, to yards in Devon and Cornwall, to Liverpool, Belfast and potentially other areas.” The union are already angry at the cancelled “frigate factory” on the Clyde and the reduction of Type 26 Frigates from 13 to eight.
Murdoch added: “Is our sovereign defence capability this Government’s priority or Treasury budget setting?
“The renaissance in shipbuilding and the steady drumbeat of orders rhetoric from this Government are proving to be hollow words as far as our members are concerned.
“Add to this the ill-thought-out Government decision to put the three Fleet Solid Support ships out to international tender, particularly given the shambles over Brexit, and it all adds up to a view within shipbuilding and steel communities that this Government care little for their futures.”
The Record revealed in April how campaigners including Glasgow South West MP Chris Stephens hope to overturn the Government’s insistence on an international tender for the naval support vessels.
Defence chiefs were told the presence of weapons on board technically makes them warships, meaning they must be built in Britain for national security reasons.
An initial batch of five Type 31e Frigates was to be completed by 2023 for export. A second, more advanced version, would be ordered for the Royal Navy to replace the ageing Type 26 frigates.
The delay announcement was sneaked out on the last day of parliament before Westminster closes for summer to the anger of opposition MPs.
A MoD spokesman insisted that the order would go ahead under a streamlined bidding process.
The official said: “There have been no changes in our plans to procure a first batch of five new Type 31e frigates to grow our Royal Navy.
“We still want the first ship delivered by 2023 and are confident that the industry will meet the challenge of providing them for the price tag we’ve set.”