Exclusive:John Swinney accused of 'deceiving public' and told to clarify SNP defence position

Labour MP Graeme Downie has urged the First Minister to provide clarity over whether the Scottish Government supports defence investment.

Mr Swinney recently lifted the SNP’s stance against providing public funding for companies which are building munitions - as long the arms are not being supplied where there is plausible evidence of genocide.

But an SNP councillor has since said he does not want work to be done at Rosyth dockyard to take out a nuclear reactor from a sub.

Dunfermline and Dollar MP Mr Downie said: "John Swinney is trying to deceive the public. On one hand announcing a supposed U-turn on defence investment but then having local SNP councillors refusing to support investment and jobs. Which one is the real policy, John?

“This Labour government is investing hundreds of millions of pounds in Rosyth to enable submarine dismantling and for contingent docking. That's hundreds of jobs making those upgrades then decades of work for highly skilled and well paid employment but the SNP say they don't want those jobs here.

“That's a ludicrous position to hold but sadly an unsurprising one. For the past 20 years the SNP have failed to support colleges in providing the technical skills needed in defence or renewables industries. We need a Scottish Labour government at Holyrood and Anas Sarwar as First Minister to unlock these opportunities in Fife and elsewhere. "

Seven old nuclear submarines are currently laid up at Rosyth.

HMS Swiftsure is being dismantled as part of a recycling scheme.

But SNP Rosyth councillor Brian Goodall said removing the reactor from it is “a stage too far”.

He said there was “no need” to cut out the most radioactive parts of the sub as there was nowhere to safely store the waste and it would also be cheaper not to do so.

The dismantling programme started in 2015, with Babcock saying the Fife dockyard could become a “centre of excellence” for dealing with old nuclear submarines.

The project is trying to recycle up to 90 per cent of the ship and remove the reactor and steam generators - which are the most radioactive parts left. This is something which has not been done before.

The First Minister announced in September that the Scottish Government would end its self-imposed ban on public money being given to firms which manufacture munitions.

The change came after SNP minister were accused of “student politics” earlier this year when a Scottish Government agency pulled funding for a specialist shipbuilding skills centre.

Scottish Enterprise had refused to hand over £2.5 million for the welding college in Glasgow.

The UK Government then stepped in to make sure that the Rolls Royce scheme went ahead.

Mr Swinney’s U-turn signalled a significant change for his party in terms of defence - although he said no money would go towards arms companies who are supplying Israel.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government and its agencies will provide support to the defence sector, including for the manufacture of munitions, provided companies confirm they are not supplying any countries where there is plausible evidence of genocide.”