CEP: The giant aircraft carriers: Is England again losing out to Scotland?

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Friday, 04, Jul 2008 12:00

'One major question that needs to be asked, and answered,' Mr David Wildgoose, Vice-Chairman of the Campaign for an English Parliament has stated on hearing the news of the MoD conract to build two new giant aircraft carriers, 'is whether it contains a very unpleasant element, namely is England losing out once more to Scotland?'

The £3.2 billion contract will create and secure at least 6000 jobs in the UK shipyards. Of those 6000 3000 will be at Govan in Glasgow and 1600 in Rosyth in Fifeshire, but only 400 in Barrow in Furness in Cumbria and 1200 in Portsmouth. Scotland, with only 8% of the UK population, is getting 64% of the jobs while England with 80% of the UK population is getting only 34%. Historically it has been the shipyards of England which have provided the bulk of the ships of the Royal Navy but in recent years the shipping industry of Tyneside,Birkenhead, the Medway, Portsmouth and Devonport has been reduced and rundown.

'I am very aware,' stated Mr Wildgoose, 'that the Prime Minister Mr Brown is MP for a Fifeshire constituency, Mr Des Browne the UK Defence Secretary is MP for a South of Glasgow constituency, and Mr Darling the Chancellor of the Excehquer is MP for an Edinburgh constituency. The contracts were signed inside a marquee in the port of Rosyth in the presence of Scottish schoolchildren, and the carriers when built will be launched from the same port. I would expect the MPs for England's historic naval ports to raise questions in the House of Commons about the disproportionate amount of jobs being provided in Scotland; and in the event that the Ministry of Defence replies that Rosyth is better equipped to deal with naval construction such as involved here, inquire further if that is because the historic naval shipyards of the UK which are in England have been run-down over recent years while those in Scotland have been better maintained and developed.'

end of press release.

Contacts:

Michael Knowles

Media Unit. Campaign for an English Parliament.

Tel: 01260 271139 Email: michael-knowles@tiscali.co.uk

Scilla Cullen

Chairman CEP. Tel: 01438 833155 email: scilla.cullen@thecep.org.uk