Warning over military jobs threat

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Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram has launched an attack on the Scottish National Party's plans for an independent Scottish defence force.

The Labour MP claimed the Nationalists pose a direct threat to thousands of military jobs and defence contracts.

He said an independent Scotland would be capable of "self-defence" but may be at increased risk from terrorism.

The SNP accused Labour of scaremongering and using a defence paper "riddled with basic errors".

Mr Ingram told a news conference in Edinburgh that the SNP plans threatened contracts placed with the Govan shipyard for Navy destroyers.

The MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow said: "They (the SNP) are a direct threat to the 26,000 workers who are employed by the Ministry of Defence directly or working directly on defence equipment contracts."

The SNP would end shipbuilding on Govan and on the Clyde Adam IngramArmed Forces Minister

Mr Ingram added: "There is no possibility that a UK Navy would commission work from an independent Scotland.

"The SNP would end shipbuilding on Govan and on the Clyde."

Labour has increased its attacks against the SNP in the run up to May's Holyrood elections.

Campaign material released by the party stated: "The SNP have military jobs in their sights."

His arguments on the effect of independence on military bases in Scotland were on similar lines to an assessment published by independent defence expert Francis Tusa on Tuesday.

'Reintroduce conscription'

Mr Ingram also came close to suggesting an independent Scotland would have to reintroduce conscription.

He said many Scottish career soldiers and officers would opt instead to serve with the British forces.

Mr Ingram pointed to Norway having to conscript its army - a country which the SNP often compares Scotland to.

He said later that he was not putting this forward as a serious possibility.

The SNP, he went on, wanted to preserve Scotland's historic Army regiment but would find it had to recruit six battalions and develop engineering, logistic and other support skills.

The Labour campaign targets the SNP's defence plans

The SNP claimed that Mr Tusa's paper made wrong assumptions on Scotland's population, tax take, economy and likely defence spending.

Angus Robertson, the party's defence spokesman called on the minister to "apologise" for the loss of 4,700 Scottish defence jobs since 1997.

"Yet again Labour is indulging in negativity and scaremongering by punting this dodgy dossier," Mr Robertson said.

"The paper is based on false foundations which construct an imaginary defence establishment for Scotland.

"It is a sign of desperation and double standards by Labour when it sends a minister responsible for 4,700 job losses to scaremonger about the SNP."