SHIPBUILDING and the defence industry would suffer from independence, the Shadow Scottish Secretary has warned in a Glasgow speech.

Margaret Curran, Glasgow East Labour MP, said the trades were under threat from both the Conservative-led UK Government's Strategic Defence Review and from the SNP's plans for independence.

Ms Curran warned that the review was cutting the nation's defence capability too far and would have a damaging effect on firms which supply the MoD,

She added that, under independence, a Westminster government would not build ships or award contracts for warships to Scotland which would be a separate and foreign country.

Ms Curran said: "Rather than build a defence industry suited to the challenges of the 21st century, the SDR has been overshadowed by the drive for immediate cuts and the decisions that have been taken have not withstood the test of world events.

"In Libya, the operation to defeat Gaddafi was reliant on a frigate that is planned to be cut and a Tornado jet squadron that is set to be reduced."

Speaking at a conference organised by the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, Ms Curran outlined the scale of what she claimed would be lost if Scotland was independent.

She said: "The aerospace, defence and marine sectors have a combined annual turnover of £5.2billion and are worth £2.6bn to the Scottish economy.

"Defence industries employ about 40,000 people in Scotland.

"Moreover, Approximately 7000 non-MoD jobs are directly funded by MoD contracts."

stewart.paterson@ eveningtimes.co.uk