Britain invests in Scottish naval base

LONDON (AFP) – Scotland's Faslane naval base is to receive £500 million ($770 million, 688 million euros) in investment over 10 years, the British government announced on Sunday.

The site of Britain's Trident submarine nuclear deterrent, Faslane is to receive investment in ship lifts, sea walls, jetties and other projects from 2017, with jobs at the base increasing to 8,200 by 2022 from 6,700, according to a statement.

''Today's announcement of more than £500 million demonstrates the UK government's commitment to investing in the infrastructure and capability to ensure that Faslane remains the centre of UK submarine operations for the next generation,'' finance minister George Osborne said in a statement.

The announcement of investment in the military, a key shared British institution, came as former prime minister Gordon Brown warned of risks to the centuries-old union of Scotland and England due to divisive politics.

''The Conservatives decided to play at the general election the English nationalism card,'' Brown told an audience in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. ''They are pushing Scotland and England further apart.''