Swinney hits out at ‘glaring weaknesses’ in maritime defences around Scotland
The First Minister said the UK Government has not based ‘a single offshore patrol vessel, frigate or destroyer’ north of the border.
Scotland’s First Minister has hit out at the UK Government over what he branded “glaring weaknesses” in Scotland’s defence – insisting there must be a “strong” presence in the country’s waters.
John Swinney said ministers in Whitehall had “chosen not to base a single offshore patrol vessel, frigate or destroyer in Scotland”.
Recalling Defence Secretary John Healey had revealed in November that the Russian spy ship Yantar had been operating in waters north of Scotland, Mr Swinney said the situation had required vessels to be sent from the south coast of England.
Scotland currently has “glaring weaknesses in our physical defence”, the First Minister said, particularly around “the deployment of surveillance vessels which will protect us”.
Speaking to journalists in Edinburgh, the SNP leader stressed: “We have got to ensure that we have in place the capacity and capability to protect our coastline.”
Pressed on if that means the UK Government should base more vessels in Scottish waters, Mr Swinney said: “That’s the environment we’re now in, where we have to be more and more conscious of what is going on in the waters round about us.”
Where such vessels should be positioned are “operational decisions for the United Kingdom Government”, the First Minister added.
“I think we need to have strong maritime defences.”
His comments came after a speech at Edinburgh University’s McEwan Hall, where he made clear the “United Kingdom is not a superpower” and is instead an “intermediate power”.
He went on to hit out UK ministers for “increasing investment in nuclear bombs” at the same time as it chose to “scrap its entire maritime patrol fleet”.
The First Minister told the audience: “The United Kingdom has chosen not to base a single offshore patrol vessel, frigate or destroyer in Scotland – requiring vessels to be dispatched from the south coast of England when the flagship of the Russian Northern Fleet arrived off Scotland.”
The comments came as he reflected on current geopolitical uncertainty and the “flash floods and storms of an emerging new world”.
Adding that new MI6 head Blaise Metreweli had said recently “we are now operating in a space between peace and war”, Mr Swinney said the current climate demands an “adequate, multi-layered naval capability in Scottish waters”.
He said this will help “protect our offshore energy assets”, while he also stressed “adequate air defences” are needed for Scotland to “deal with threats to our airports – as has happened across northern Europe – from drones”.
Making clear “an independent Scotland would not leave these gaps”, he hit out at the UK for choosing to “prioritise” nuclear weapons, saying these offer no protection to the “actual day to day threats” the country faces.
Mr Swinney said: “Politicians in Westminster may desire the power to destroy the planet, but for a Scottish Government, the priority would be the adequate defence of our waters and our shores.”
The UK Government has been contacted for comment.
