Election 2010: Workers out to defend jobs amid Tory fears

Published on Sunday 18 April 2010 22:36

TRADE union bosses have claimed the jobs of defence workers could be at risk if the Tories win the General Election.

Activists from the Unite union have signed a letter expressing "grave concerns" about the future of jobs and investment if David Cameron's party comes to power.

Signatories from major defence employers such as BAE, Thales, Selex and Babcock have warned about the threat to more than 8,000 Scottish defence workers.

Unite's national secretary for aerospace and shipbuilding, Bernie Hamilton, said: "The people know their history and they know what devastation a Tory government would wreak on the defence sector."

However, Conservative shadow defence secretary Dr Liam Fox slammed the claims made by Unite, Labour's biggest financial backer among the trade unions.

"Labour's trades union paymasters are peddling the same lies," he said.

SNP leader Alex Salmond blasted the three main parties. Speaking in his former Banff and Buchan constituency, he said: "The opportunities for Scotland are not with a vote for the London parties – Tweedledee, Tweedledum or for that matter the Tweedledems – they are with the local and national SNP champions who will always put Scotland first."

Lib Dem Scotland spokesman Alistair Carmichael, campaigning in one of his party's target seats Edinburgh South, said the momentum is with his party, following the leaders' televised debate while Labour's Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy campaigned with some of his party's younger candidates in Glasgow.