SNP accused of 'jeopardising national security' as huge defence row erupts between Scottish and UK governments
A row has erupted between John Swinney and the UK government over national security.
First Minister John Swinney has “utterly refuted” an accusation from the UK Defence Secretary that the SNP’s longstanding opposition to nuclear weapons "jeopardises" national security as a defence row erupts between Scotland’s two governments.
The First Minister was accused of putting the UK national security at risk by Defence Secretary John Healey on a visit to Edinburgh to confirm a £473m contract for Leonardo UK to upgrade radar systems for Typhoon fighter jets.
Mr Swinney later hit back at the claim and criticised the UK government for the “absolutely appalling” communications on the US and UK operation to seize the rogue tanker Marinera, which ended up in the Moray Firth, and the use of of several Scottish airports in the manoeuvre.
The First Minister later described Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander as “juvenile” over his handling of communications on the matter.
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In Edinburgh, Mr Healey addressed staff at the Leonardo’s site and said the UK government was “building Britain’s security here in Scotland”.
Mr Healey stressed he wants the Scottish Government “to be a firm, strong reliable government partner for the UK government”.
He added: “We have a joint mission to make Scotland safer, to make the defence investments that we’re making and stepping up in Scotland that benefits Scottish people are youngsters. I want them taking the jobs with the skills.
“We need a Scottish Government that is not weak on defence, that is willing to invest in skills, in defence, which this Scottish nationalist government has not been prepared to do.
“I want to see a Scottish Government that doesn’t have a declared party policy of unilateral nuclear disarmament because in this era of rising threat, it strikes me that any government, any leader that calls into question or jeopardises our deterrent is jeopardising or calling into question the strength of our national security.”
Asked by The Scotsman for his response to the claim, Mr Swinney said: “I completely and utterly refute that accusation.”
He added: “There are plenty of countries in the world who assure their national security without the use of nuclear weapons and I think we should be one of those countries. I think that’s an important consideration.
“I am very committed to ensuring that I take all necessary steps to contribute constructively to the national security of Scotland and the United Kingdom.
“I could do with a bit more assistance from the UK government in the process. The UK government is incredibly difficult to engage on significant issues of national security, as in recent days, such as on the MV Minerva tanker where there flow of communication between the Scottish and United Kingdom governments has been absolutely appalling.”
Mr Swinney had previously complained that he has received no briefing from the UK government over the US military operation to seize the Russian tanker, despite Wick Airport, owned by the Scottish Government, being used by US jets and the vessel being taken into Scottish waters, amid fears over whether Scots law was being adhered to.
But UK Scottish Secretary, Douglas Alexander, told journalists that he “personally offered a briefing to John Swinney, the First Minister, in relation to the use of Wick Airport”, adding that the offer “hasn’t been accepted”.
But Mr Swinney has hit back at Mr Alexander, accusing the Scottish Secretary of "juvenile behaviour”.
The FM initially wrote to Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the issue but received a reply from Mr Alexander, which Mr Swinney said "basically told me that this whole issue was none of my business”.
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He added: “I’ve now, in fact, had a letter from the Prime Minister. I wrote to the Prime Minister after my first letter because I was so dissatisfied with the juvenile content of Douglas Alexander’s letter.”
The letter from Mr Alexander to the First Minister, seen by The Scotsman, claims that “prior notifications are very tightly held on a need to know basis”, adding that “in this instance it would have been inappropriate to brief Scottish ministers in advance”.
Mr Alexander added: “This operation was in defence of UK national security and our relationship with a key international ally. As such it would not have been appropriate to provide briefing in advance to Scottish ministers”.
In his response to the Prime Minister, Mr Swinney argued that excluding the Scottish Government from notification of prior briefing “solely on the ground of operation security” was “wholly inadequate and not credible”.
Speaking in Edinburgh, Mr Healey said that the investment in Scotland comes alongside the nation playing an increased role in security with the focus on the Arctic and Far North.
He said: “Just as Scotland is the powerhouse of the UK’s defence industry, it is a front line for the UK’s security.”
Mr Healey arrived in Edinburgh from Copenhagen following talks with the Danish deputy prime minister Troels Lund Poulsen, after Donald Trump backed down on his threat to use military force to claim Greenland as a United States territory following an international backlash.
Speaking to The Scotsman, The Defence Secretary said: “There’s no doubt about it when you look at the level of Russian activity, the Russian aggression, the rising Chinese interest in the High North, then the arguments President Trump has been making in the last fortnight, the arguments that we’ve been making for at least five years that Nato needs to step up the security deterrent in the High North, are spot on.
“We will have 1,500 UK marines training in the Arctic during the course of this winter - that’s double what we had before. We are leading the way amongst the Nordic and Baltic nations.
“We agreed as defence ministers in the High North to run a big exercise in the High North later this year. That will involved thousands of troops, planes, submarines, ships and it is part of Nato demonstrating that together we can reinforce our collective security, including for Scotland.”
Pressed over whether Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s comments supporting a United States take-over of Greenland, Mr Healey said he was “increasingly out on a limb at the far margins on this as on other things”.
He added: “For a man who says the leader he most admires is Vladimir Putin, a man who has blamed Nato for Putin’s illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine, this is not a man to speak with any authority or with any trust on Britain’s national security.”
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