Swinney ‘all over the place on defence’, claims Scottish Secretary Ian Murray

John Swinney is “all over the place in terms of defence”, the Scottish Secretary has said.

Ian Murray described the SNP’s leader in Holyrood as “not credible”, as he took a question in the House of Commons about the Trident nuclear deterrent based at the Clyde naval base, Faslane.

First Minister Mr Swinney has previously said his party and the Scottish Government “wouldn’t support the possession of nuclear weapons” and described a cut to international aid spending as the “wrong choice” to make.

It comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced an increase in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, and a drop in the aid budget from 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national income.

Labour MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven Joani Reid said on Wednesday: “Does the Secretary of State agree with me that the SNP’s reckless pledge to scrap our nuclear deterrent at Faslane significantly threatens our national security?”

She also asked: “Does he agree that Trident – when the First Minister said that Trident has no tangible or realistic benefit to our current security challenges, does the Secretary of State share my view that the stance is fundamentally naïve and demonstrates that the SNP cannot be be trusted with Scotland’s future?”

Mr Murray replied: “Indeed, the First Minister is all over the place in terms of defence.

“He suggested that we should increase the 2.5% of GDP on defence spending by scrapping Trident.

“That’s already included in the 2.5% so would have made no difference whatsoever.

“They’re not credible at all on defence in Scotland and I would urge everyone in this House, every single party, to get behind the Prime Minister in our national interest.”

Mr Swinney said at the end of February that “there’s obviously resources that could have been spent alternatively on defence than on Trident missiles – which are not stopping conflict in the world today and they’re not able to be deployed in the current challenges we face”.

Mr Murray had earlier taken a question from Jack Rankin, the Conservative MP for Windsor, about how the Scotland Office is working with the Ministry of Defence to “unleash” Scotland’s small and medium-sized businesses.

The Scottish Secretary said he had recently hosted a roundtable to “discuss sector priorities and opportunities”, adding: “Scotland needs all its political leaders to proudly stand up for our defence industry.

“Scotland has led the UK on defence, it’s been home to its nuclear deterrent since the 1960s.”