Shipyard demand

PERHAPS Lord Reid and his ­Labour colleagues should be careful what they wish for when it comes to the fate of Scotland’s shipyards.

While threatening that independence will be lost on the back of contracts for six frigates, he seems to forget that other countries also need war machines and can place orders for them with allies when they wish.

Ronnie Liveston

Falkirk

NATIONALISTs commenting on the future of the Clyde shipyards demonstrate supposed outrage at the suggestion that Britain may prefer, nay even insist, on building its warships in its own ­shipyards.

Their complaints suggest they are suffering from an irony bypass. While insisting that in the SNP’s Scotland, the fantasy ships for its fantasy navy will be built only in Scotland, they fail to see how exactly the same principle should not be applied, whatever the cost, to the rest of the UK.

Some in the Nationalist camp ask if the Clyde-based submarines will be removed also? This may be an attempt at satire, I do not know.

But the answer surely is Yes, they will, as soon as is practicably possible, and with them will go forever many, many thousands of jobs and much expertise.

Alexander McKay

Edinburgh