Scotland's political parties hold talks over looming defence cuts

• An artist's impression of one of the proposed Royal navy super aircraft carriers.

Leading figures from the SNP, Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green parties met in Edinburgh amid fears that plans to build two new aircraft carriers could be downgraded.

Doubts have also been raised about the future of RAF bases in the north east of Scotland.

The cross-party talks are aimed at lodging a joint submission to the UK Strategic Defence and Security Review, in the hope of protecting jobs and skills in Scotland.

First Minister Alex Salmond is away on business in Spain, leaving Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to represent the SNP administration.

She said it was a "very productive meeting" at St Andrew's House, adding: "Further work will be done on that today and I'm very hopeful that we'll get to the position where we can agree that joint submission, because that will be more powerful than any of us doing it on our own.

"We're in a very tight timescale now, we know that decisions on the defence review are looming imminently, so we're looking to agree this within the next couple of days.

"We know there are many things that divide us - on defence there are many issues we don't agree on.

"But if we can find agreement on the importance of these issues to jobs and the economy of Scotland, then I think that will be very powerful."

Mr Salmond had earlier called for an "all-Scotland case" to be made to UK defence chiefs.

The Ministry of Defence is under pressure to cut its 36.9 billion annual budget by up to 20%. UK Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox is expected to make an announcement at the end of October.

Concerns about the carriers were raised last week after BAE systems chief executive Sir Ian King told the Defence Select Committee in the House of Commons that the company had asked to consider a number of options ranging from "one carrier to no carriers".

There are fears that any downgrading of the programme could cost thousands of jobs at shipyards on the Clyde and at Rosyth.

Labour Holyrood leader Iain Gray was at today's meeting and said: "10,000 jobs depend on this, not just at Rosyth and on the Clyde, but among many, many sub-contractors as well.

"The jobs that are provided there are the foundation of Scotland's hi-tech engineering industry.

"I've been to Rosyth, I've stood on the deck of the first carrier that's being constructed there now. I've met one of the hundreds of apprentices who are training there.

"This isn't just about defence jobs, it's also about our capacity in other engineering areas, like off-shore wind. These are crucial jobs."

Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie said it was a "constructive meeting".

Asked if she wanted the aircraft carriers to be built in Scotland, she said: "I obviously want Scotland to make a very strong contribution to our United Kingdom defence facility, as Scotland has been doing over decades and indeed centuries.

"We are in very difficult times because of the financial mess created by Labour. We know hard decisions have to be made."

Liberal Democrat finance spokesman Jeremy Purvis said: "We stressed our absolute commitment to give the strongest possible case for Scotland to the defence review because the carriers, as well as the airforce bases in Scotland, are of critical importance to our local economies."

Scottish Green Party co-leader Patrick Harvie said there are "huge disagreements" on defence policy.

He added: "Whatever changes come out of this strategic defence review, we all share a common interest, and that's safeguarding the economic future of Scotland and some of the communities that currently depend on military spending.

"I'd like to see those skills retained for the renewables sector, for example, for new industries in the 21st century."