A NEW £250million investment in Scottish defences has been welcomed by the leader of Inverclyde Council and Inverclyde MP Martin McCluskey. 

Councillor Stephen McCabe and council chief executive Stuart Jamieson were at His Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde at Faslane on Wednesday, July 17, as the UK Government announced the funding – part of the multi-year, multi-billion pound Clyde 2070 programme.

Councillor McCabe, Mr Jamieson and Mr McCluskey met with senior figures from the government and Scotland Office, Ministry of Defence, Royal Navy, MPs, and fellow west coast local authority leaders to discuss how the huge investment in Scotland’s largest military establishment could benefit areas including Inverclyde.

(Image: UK Government Scotland Office) Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: "It was the start of a conversation between the local authorities on the Clyde with the UK Government, MoD and the Royal Navy on the potential opportunities for our local communities from the government's increased investment on defence and in particular at Faslane/Coulport.

“We welcome the opportunity to engage with the government and look forward to further engagement and discussions over the coming months on how Inverclyde can benefit directly from this investment.

“We’re working with the Scotland Office to that end to ensure the Clyde is ready to support defence spending.”

Martin McCluskey, MP for [[Inverclyde]] and Renfrewshire West said: "Over the next three years, £250million will be invested in defence capabilities on the Clyde and that will increase to billions over the coming decades.

"This is money for jobs, skills and new infrastructure and we need to ensure our area gets its fair share. 

“HMNB Clyde is the single largest employment site in the west of Scotland with over 6,000 people working there - with many from [[Inverclyde]].

"It is crucial for our future economic success. 

“We saw last week the importance of UK defence contracts with the award of work to Ferguson Marine for parts of the Type 26 Frigate HMS Birmingham.

"Already more than 400 local people are working at Govan and Scotstoun on the Frigate programme.

“Our area has a proud naval history, and it should be part of our future and not just our past.

"I will be having further meetings with officials at [[HMNB Clyde]] in the coming months to discuss in more detail the areas where we can work together, and in the autumn I will be hosting the Defence Minister and others in Greenock to discuss opportunities for our area, including at Inchgreen.”

Discussions centred on how Clyde 2070’s defence dividend can be maximised by local communities for years to come.

The conversation covered opportunities for effective coordination between government, local authorities and the defence sector, focusing on infrastructure development, skills training, regional economic opportunities, and local job creation.

Approximately 26,100 skilled jobs across Scotland - including in the shipbuilding industry - are already supported by the Ministry of Defence’s annual multi-billion pound spend.