huge defence implications of scottish independence
5 December 2012
The former head of the Royal Navy has accused the defence secretary of a “dereliction of duty” by refusing to plan for the break-up of the United Kingdom.
Lord West of Spithead was giving evidence to the House of Lords Economic Committee.
He began his evidence by saying: “I believe that the damage to our islands’ defence and the economic costs, particularly to Scotland, of separation have not been properly exposed, and indeed that there have been attempts to hide the impact from the Scottish people. It is quite likely that over 10,000 jobs would be lost in Scotland. Bases would close, and I have spoken to a number of defence firms that have parts of their organisations in Scotland, and they would also close in Scotland and move south. I asked them why hadn’t they come out and said this publicly, and they referred to a climate of fear within Scotland, and that they can’t say anything, which I find quite remarkable.”
The committee chairman, Lord MacGregor, revealed that Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, had declined to give evidence, saying he had given his views on the prospect of Scottish independence to other committees, but he confirmed that the Ministry of Defence was “not making plans for Scottish independence”.
Lord West responded by saying he was “amazed” and “appalled” by this. “If this is really so, then it’s a dereliction of duty.” He said that if he was still in office he would ignore instructions from the Defence Secretary. “There are huge implications for the United Kingdom and I know jolly well that were I the First Sea Lord today, I would turn a Nelsonic blind eye to such instructions from the Secretary of State for Defence and I would set up a ‘black team’ to work out all of the options and possibilities, for example, for our nuclear deterrent.”
Comparing Scotland to Ireland since 1920, he said that Scotland would in effect shelter under the UK nuclear shield without paying for it. He calculated that Scottish independence would result in the loss of 10,000 defence-related jobs.
Lord West was Chief of Naval Staff and First Sea Lord from 2002-2006. He was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Security and Counter-Terrorism) at the Home Office 2007-10.
Lord West of Spithead was giving evidence to the House of Lords Economic Committee.
He began his evidence by saying: “I believe that the damage to our islands’ defence and the economic costs, particularly to Scotland, of separation have not been properly exposed, and indeed that there have been attempts to hide the impact from the Scottish people. It is quite likely that over 10,000 jobs would be lost in Scotland. Bases would close, and I have spoken to a number of defence firms that have parts of their organisations in Scotland, and they would also close in Scotland and move south. I asked them why hadn’t they come out and said this publicly, and they referred to a climate of fear within Scotland, and that they can’t say anything, which I find quite remarkable.”
The committee chairman, Lord MacGregor, revealed that Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, had declined to give evidence, saying he had given his views on the prospect of Scottish independence to other committees, but he confirmed that the Ministry of Defence was “not making plans for Scottish independence”.
Lord West responded by saying he was “amazed” and “appalled” by this. “If this is really so, then it’s a dereliction of duty.” He said that if he was still in office he would ignore instructions from the Defence Secretary. “There are huge implications for the United Kingdom and I know jolly well that were I the First Sea Lord today, I would turn a Nelsonic blind eye to such instructions from the Secretary of State for Defence and I would set up a ‘black team’ to work out all of the options and possibilities, for example, for our nuclear deterrent.”
Comparing Scotland to Ireland since 1920, he said that Scotland would in effect shelter under the UK nuclear shield without paying for it. He calculated that Scottish independence would result in the loss of 10,000 defence-related jobs.
Lord West was Chief of Naval Staff and First Sea Lord from 2002-2006. He was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Security and Counter-Terrorism) at the Home Office 2007-10.
