WARNING OF MORE DEFENCE CUTS TO PAY TRIDENT BILL

Despite Scotland’s defence estate already taking a hammering to pay for Tory cuts, the UK Tory Government is demanding a further £300 million in military savings to pay for the spiralling cost of replacing Trident.

Reports suggest that the army is set to take the biggest hit from these latest efficiency savings, prompting calls from the SNP to ensure that more cuts do not fall on Scottish bases or battalions.

The Trident weapons system should be scrapped and nuclear warheads removed from the Clyde, investing instead in conventional defence to protect military jobs.

Commenting, Patricia Gibson MP said:

“The Tories and Labour before them have overseen catastrophic cuts to Scotland’s conventional armed forces and their policies are leading to base closures and lost jobs. These latest reports suggest they’re gearing up to go even further, siphoning hundreds of millions from army budgets this year to pay for a redundant, Cold War era weapons system.

“We need guarantees now that this doesn’t mean more base closures, a reduction in defence munitions such as those at Beith or attempts to diminish Scottish battalions any further.

“The SNP opposes Trident renewal, a majority of the Scottish Parliament renewal, most of Scotland’s MPs oppose trident renewal and so too do most people in Scotland. It’s that simple.

“Like most countries, we don’t want Scotland to host nuclear weapons on our shores, and certainly don’t want them on the doorstep of our biggest city.

“It’s time to scrap Trident, invest in conventional defence forces to ensure we protect jobs and protect our people from the global threats of the future, not those of the past.”

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/forces-must-find-300m-for-rising-trident-costs-bmxnl9577