The Secretary of State for Scotland, the Rt. Hon Jim Murphy MP, alongside John Robertson MP and Ian Davidson MP, has announced the decision to go ahead with building on the Clyde of the Type 26 Warships.

The Minister confirmed that the MoD has signed the £127m contract to take the project into the assessment phase

John Robertson said: “This shows a Labour government’s commitment to long term planning for defence, retaining capability and skills and protecting Scottish jobs.”

John Robertson MP added: “The choice for the electorate in the coming election is now very clear; vote Tory or SNP and you’re voting for unemployment on the Clyde”.

John Robertson MP ended: “The truth is that successive Tory governments have cut defence spending; I remember Sir Francis Pym falling out with Margaret Thatcher over her plans to axe defence spending, and John Major cutting the defence budget by over half a billion a year.”

Only last month the future of the aircraft carriers and the shipbuilding on the Clyde was put into doubt by comments by Liam Fox MP, the Shadow Defence Minister, who told union representatives that he planned, on day one of a Conservative government, to seek details about break clauses in the carrier contracts. Such actions could jeopardise the future of the entire industry, which risks up to14, 000 jobs.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. Liam Fox has refused to match Labour’s commitment to ring-fence the Defence budget in 2010/11
2. The Tories refuse to give assurances on the future of ship building on the Clyde.
3. On 24/02/10 the Shadow Defence Spokesman Liam Fox told a meeting of trade union officials that he will look into open up the defence contracts.

The Hon. John Robertson MP is the Labour Member of Parliament for Glasgow North West.

The Hon. Ian Davidson MP is the Labour Member of Parliament for Glasgow South West.

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