The SNP must play its part in British national security

The UK’s defence strategy must evolve in tandem with the nature of threats to our national security.

This is the purpose of the strategic defence review, which is to be published today, pledging £1.5 billion to set up at least six factories and support up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons.

Defence Secretary John Healey has said the measures will see spending on munitions hit £6bn in the course of this parliament and support around 1,800 jobs throughout the country.

Defence Secretary John Healey appearing on the BBC1 current affairs programme, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg | PA

Ahead of today’s publication, Mr Healey could not have been more plain about where the biggest threat to national security lies.

“This is a message to Moscow,” he said. “This is Britain standing behind, making our armed forces stronger but making our industrial base stronger, and this is part of our readiness to fight, if required.”

As Mr Healey also observed, the world is a more uncertain place in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and daily cyber attacks from Moscow on the UK. Increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027 and 3 per cent in the next parliament will play an important role in bolstering both UK defence and deterrence.

The Scottish Government must accept that it too has a part to play in national defence, and one that should transcend party politics.

‘We stick to principles’

But long-standing SNP policy of not providing funding for munitions means the Scottish Government will not help Rolls-Royce create a specialist welding centre in Glasgow.

The Scottish Government’s Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “The key difference here between ourselves and the UK government is that when we have principles, we stick to them.”

The Scottish Government’s stance was branded “student union politics” by Mr Healey, and former SNP MP Stewart McDonald urged his party to have a “renewed defence debate that moves us beyond our old slogans and comfort zones”.

Mr McDonald should be applauded for making this plea. National security must always take precedence over politically-driven moral posturing.