belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Work begins on the HMS Glasgow – but it’s a
far cry from the 13 frigates promised by Better Together
Martin Hannan
Journalist
IT was one of the many broken promises made by the
Westminster Government ahead of the independence referendum
in September, 2014, but at least work has now started on the three new Royal
Navy frigates being built on the Clyde, the first of which is to be called
HMS Glasgow.
The No campaign publicised the promise widely — “Govan
and Scotstoun will get the order for 13 Type-26 frigates from the Royal Navy”.
So far, however, just three have been ordered and the final number will be
eight, though where and when they will be built will not be decided until the
2020s.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon was in Govan yesterday
to announce HMS Glasgow’s name and start the work of cutting steel for the
ship.
The ceremony led the SNP to call on the UK Government to try to live
up to the original promise.
Douglas Chapman, MP, SNP Spokesperson for Defence
Procurement, said: “While we welcome today’s long awaited start to cut steel
for three frigates, three is clearly not the thirteen promised to the workforce
on the Clyde.
“Following repeated questioning yesterday the UK
Government could not confirm the date for the publication of their much vaunted
National Shipbuilding Strategy due last year, which would help bring security
and clarity to the future of naval Shipbuilding both on the Clyde and at
Rosyth.
“A key component of a steady stream of work for Scottish
Shipbuilding is the new T31e smaller frigate and again yesterday the UK
minister could only say it was still ‘at the design stage’ – where it has been
for the best part of two years.
“It is welcome that the workforce on the Clyde will push
ahead of the Type 26 frigate programme. It is absolutely essential that the
Clyde retains the skills and experience it has as a world centre of
shipbuilding expertise.
Fallon said: “Today marks yet another historic milestone
for the Royal Navy, Scottish shipbuilding and UK Defence more widely. Glasgow
will protect our powerful new aircraft carriers and nuclear deterrent, keeping
British interests safe across the world.
“The Type 26 is a cutting-edge warship that will maintain
our naval power with a truly global reach. Designed for a service life of at
least 25 years, the Type 26 Frigates will form a backbone of the future Royal
Navy surface fleet into the 2060s.
“The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be a world-class anti-submarine
warfare ship, replacing the Type 23 anti submarine variant frigates, with the
first ship due to be delivered to the Royal Navy in the mid 2020s.”
Former shipyard worker Paul Sweeney, Labour’s
shadow Scotland Office Minister, glossed over the
broken promise, saying: “Just under three years ago, I stood on a stage with
former Prime Minister Gordon Brown on behalf of fellow young shipyard workers
on the Clyde, urging Scots to vote to remain in the United Kingdom to protect
jobs in the defence and shipbuilding industries here in Scotland and today
shows we were right to do so as we now see a secure programme of work that will
secure highly skilled shipyard jobs till the 2030s.”
The First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Philip Jones, said: “The
Clyde was the birthplace of some of the greatest fighting ships the world has
ever known, and so cutting steel there today for the future HMS Glasgow is
symbolic of a Royal Navy on the rise once again.
“As an island nation, we are utterly dependent on the sea
for our security and prosperity, and the City-class names have been chosen for
the Type 26 to provide an enduring link between the Royal Navy and our great
centres of commerce and industry.”
Source: thenational.scot
Related post:
Type 26 Global Combat Ship (City-class): Details
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