Scotland defence jobs declining, data shows

According to a report commissioned by the GMB union, there has been almost a 25 per cent decline in employment by the Ministry of Defence in the past eight years.

The study highlighted that shipbuilding supports nearly 10,000 jobs in Scotland, and has grown in importance while other manufacturing has declined.

Currently there are 13,840 people employed by the Ministry of Defence in Scotland. However, in 2008, when the economics institute last reported on the defence sector, there were 23 per cent more jobs in uniform and MoD civilian roles.

Furthermore, the number in military roles is down from 12,400 in 2008 to 10,100 this year.

GMB Scotland Secretary Gary Smith said: "This report was commissioned following the delays to type-26 programme and because of the long-term frustrations felt by our members across the sector after years of being used as a political football.

"One job on the Upper Clyde alone supports an additional 1.18 jobs across Scotland so for the future of Scottish shipbuilding and our long-term economic prosperity it is imperative that the UK government makes good on the promised frigate programme.

"Furthermore, and with a second independence referendum a real possibility, the Scottish government needs to demonstrate to our members how they would plan to sustain their jobs, wages, pensions, skills and local communities without MoD investment.

"This report is a reality check and shows that the fragile Scottish economy cannot do without the thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of pounds in wages supported by navy shipbuilding contracts."