By Andrew J Quinn

Copyright scotsman

The SNP has attacked the UK Government over a lack of defence spending in Scotland – despite the Scottish Government refusing to spend public money on munitions. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) spent three times less per head on defence in Scotland than some areas in the south of England in 2024-25. It paid out £390 per capita north of the Border compared to £1,120 in the South West of England. It also spent £810 per head in the South East. London’s per capita spending was lower than Scotland at £330. It comes after the Scottish Government refused to provide funding for a Rolls Royce skills centre in Glasgow because it does not give funding for weapons. SNP defence spokesperson Dave Doogan said: “Despite all the condescending bragging from the Prime Minister and a string of Labour Ministers about their supposed investment in Scottish defence – their own official figures now confirm that Scotland’s defence industry is being badly short-changed by Westminster. “The official figures are in black and white and they don’t lie – they confirm that Westminster is ploughing three times more spending into defence in the South-West of England than in Scotland – and yet Westminster politicians repeatedly demand Scotland’s unquestioning gratitude despite Scottish taxpayers contributing every penny that we then ultimately receive in defence expenditure. “While Westminster fails our industry, thankfully international investors continue to show their confidence by placing significant orders – these investments are being won by the engineering excellence, design quality, competitiveness and innovation of Scottish defence firms. “For example, the recent £10 billion order from the Norwegian Government will ensure over 2,000 jobs at the Glasgow BAE Systems shipyard. It will support over 100 Scottish businesses in the process, and another 2,000 jobs across the UK supply chain. “Scotland has a proud history within the defence sector, and we are home to some of the world’s most advanced manufacturers, engineers and complex warship builders. The SNP are committed to developing and investing in these industries in Scotland, despite a Westminster system that constantly short-changes us.” The UK and Scottish governments have clashed in recent months over public funding for arms companies. SNP ministers have refused to give funding directly for the building of weapons – with things coming to a head in June over the Glasgow skills centre. But this was relaxed to only being a pause on funding for firms supplying regimes where there is concrete evidence of genocide. Labour MP for Dunfermline and Dollar Graeme Downie said: “The SNP have spent the last 20 years failing to support our armed forces and failing to support our defence sector and now they have arrived with their standard grievance politics and more childish antics. “This UK Labour government has given a deserved pay rise to our armed forces, created an Armed Forces Commissioner to better look after serving members of the forces and their families and is investing in Scotland’s defence industry including investment in Rosyth Dockyard in my own constituency. “Rather than blaming everyone else for their own failings maybe they should be doing more to support UK armed forces and defence employees in devolved areas like health, education and skills.” A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “Scotland is crucial to UK defence, with more than £2 billion spent with the Scottish defence sector last year alone. “While all parts of the UK have a part to play in keeping us safe, Glasgow shipyards will be at the heart of our largest ever warship export deal, with the Type 26 partnership with Norway backing more than 2,000 jobs in the city.”