Scottish Conservative chief Russell Findlay has accused the SNP Authorities of neglecting Scotland’s defence and industrial base throughout a go to to Babcock’s Rosyth dockyard.
Chatting with UK Defence Journal, Findlay praised the shipyard’s “unbelievable work” and warned that political hostility from Edinburgh was making it tougher for corporations like Babcock to keep up the expert workforce wanted for nationwide safety.
Right now at Rosyth, @geoallison spoke to Scottish Conservative chief @RussellFindlay1, who accused the SNP of neglecting Scotland’s defence trade and failing the shipbuilding workforce. He additionally warned that independence would put naval contracts, and Scottish jobs, in danger. pic.twitter.com/macTHT0zKA
— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) October 31, 2025
“I’m right here to see the unbelievable work that Babcock do,” he stated. “This place helps virtually 10,000 expert jobs and contributes round half a billion kilos to the UK economic system. In in the present day’s harmful and more and more unstable world, firms like Babcock needs to be supported by each single politician within the nation.”
Findlay stated that the Scottish Authorities’s “petty scholar politics” towards the defence trade had left Scotland reliant on abroad labour. “As an alternative of transport in a whole lot of welders from abroad, the SNP needs to be investing within the faculty sector and in apprenticeships,” he stated.
“School budgets have been hollowed out by about 20%. Little surprise employers like this are discovering it tough to seek out the expert employees they want in the present day and tomorrow.”
Turning to the broader industrial panorama, Findlay criticised the choice to just accept tenders from Chinese language shipyards for brand new CalMac ferries regardless of Scotland already proudly owning a state shipyard. “What has occurred with the ferries and Ferguson Marine yard is not only a farce,” he stated. “The entire course of across the awarding of the contract, I imagine, was corrupt, and I’m not afraid to say that.”
He added that the results had fallen hardest on island communities. “My first thought is with the islanders whose lives and livelihoods are being put in jeopardy resulting from SNP incompetence,” he stated. “We’re nonetheless a shipbuilding powerhouse. We are able to produce the best warships for the Royal Navy and for our allies world wide, so why on earth can we not produce a couple of primary automotive ferries? It’s a nationwide scandal.”