Scotland could be in the running to get one of six munitions factory in multibillion announcement
Sources warned that the Scottish Government could try to stymie investment in Scotland
SCOTS AMMO FACTORY Scotland could be in the running to get one of six munitions factory in multibillion announcement
SCOTLAND is in the running for a new munitions factory as part of Keir Starmer's ten-year defence plan — if SNP chiefs don't block it.
The UK Government last night announced six new weapons manufacturing sites to counter mounting global threats from states like Russia.
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The Prime Minister has set out a ten-year defence plan - and Scotland is in the running for a new munitions factory
Credit: Getty
The move comes as part of the Strategic Defence Review unveiled tomorrow which will vow a major boost in military spending — including £1.5billion to build at least six munitions and components factories.
But sources warned that the Scottish Government — which has an anti-munitions policy — could try to stymie investment in Scotland.
It comes amid claims a £2.5million taxpayer grant to Rolls-Royce for a Clydeside welding facility was axed by SNP ministers' enterprise quango as it was classed as a weapons-related scheme — purely because it would 'support the construction of naval vessels'.
Writing for the Scottish Sun on Sunday, the Prime Minister said: 'We are announcing today we will build at least six new munitions factories across the UK, creating more than 1,000 skilled manufacturing jobs.
'Those who oppose this investment to keep our country safe and create skilled jobs — like the SNP — have the wrong priorities in this new era.'
UK Government sources said Scotland is 'in the running' for the munitions factory locations, which have yet to be decided.
But the Scottish Government has a policy not to fund munitions, and a Whitehall source said there are concerns Nats chiefs may use the devolved planning system to block any bid — as they have done with new nuclear power sites.
Defence Secretary John Healey said: 'Scotland will be a linchpin in making Britain safer, with more generations of skilled Scottish workers benefiting from apprenticeships, jobs and rewarding careers in defence.'
A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'We are committed to ensuring Scotland is the home of manufacturing innovation, but the Scottish Government's long-standing policy position is that it does not use public money to support the manufacture of munitions.
'We recognise the important role of the aerospace, defence, security and space sectors in the Scottish economy and we regularly engage with a range of companies.'
Warships descend on Glasgow dock ahead of major NATO exercise
We told previously how mandarins spent six years figuring out quieter ways to detonate wartime bombs around shellfish and other sea life.
Offshore firms are to avoid noisy blasts when disposing of munitions on the seabed under new guidelines.
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