Swinney 'not fit to lead' after dangerous defence jobs snub, blasts Sarwar
is 'not fit to lead our country', Anas Sarwar said yesterday, as he savaged the First Minister's 'stupid and dangerous' defence jobs snub.
The Scottish Labour leader laid into Mr Swinney over his refusal to support Scottish firms involved in 'munitions' despite growing global instability.
Keir Starmer also said it was 'staggering' the SNP had denied £2.5million towards an £11million Rolls-Royce welding centre on the Clyde as it was linked to an 'attack submarine'.
The Conservatives said the Nationalist ideology 'endangers national security'.
But Mr Swinney insisted the policy, which predates Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a surge in NATO defence spending, was still justified.
He also defended rejecting a high-level security briefing this week to pose with toddlers at a soft play centre for the SNP campaign in the Hamilton byelection.
The row followed jobs quango Scottish Enterprise refusing to put public money into creating a specialist welding centre for Royal Navy submarines because of a policy barring public funding for 'munitions'.
However the state-owned Ferguson Marine shipyard on the Clyde is currently helping build the Navy's new T26 frigates, which will be armed to the teeth.
Speaking in Hamilton yesterday, Mr Sarwar said Mr Swinney had to decide whether to 'live in the real world or in a university student debating chamber'.
He said: 'If he says there's no public money going towards munitions, are we going to Uber the missiles in? 'Are we going to Deliveroo the equipment If someone tries to attack us?
'It's completely and utterly incoherent, frankly stupid and dangerous, and it demonstrates why he's not fit to lead our country.'
Tory MSP Stephen Kerr added: 'John Swinney is more interested in virtue signalling than the security of Scotland and the United Kingdom.
'He needs to call a halt to his usual brand of petty politics and accept reality.
'The Nationalists need to ditch their ideological position which endangers national security.'
Launching the Strategic Defence Review in Glasgow on Monday, Sir Keir said the UK had to be 'battle-ready' because of rising global threats and said thousands of new jobs would come from a 'defence dividend' as the UK ramped up security spending.
Asked by Dunfermline Labour MP Graeme Downie about the Rolls-Royce row at Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir said: 'At a time of global conflict, it is staggering that the SNP policy is to block an £11million investment for a new national welding centre on the Clyde. I was there earlier this week and saw the huge potential for apprenticeships, for job opportunities, and for young people. I support it - the SNP blocks it.'
Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill also told MPs she was 'appalled' that Mr Swinney 'snubbed a confidential briefing' on the Review to campaign.
But Mr Swinney stood by the munitions policy and the decision to let SNP veterans minister Graeme Dey take the security briefing from UK veterans minister Alistair Carns.
'The Scottish Government has a long-standing policy that we don't use public expenditure to support the manufacture of munitions. It's been applied in this case in the proper fashion.
Asked if that was an 'ivory tower' position given rising global security threats, he said: 'No. It feels like a long-standing policy position that's been applied consistently.'
On the security briefing, he said: 'There was an offer of a phone call from the UK Government Minister, and it was taken by the relevant minister in the Scottish Government. That's how we operate normally.'
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