Overview
- Defence minister Luke Pollard told Scottish journalists that weakening the UK's capabilities would be welcomed in the Kremlin and said the nuclear deterrent is what Putin fears most about Britain.
- SNP defence spokesperson Dave Doogan called the remarks unbelievably crass, demanded an apology, and argued current threats are best met by conventional forces rather than nuclear weapons on the Clyde.
- Britain’s Trident submarines are based at Faslane and Coulport, and SNP policy states nuclear weapons would be removed from Scottish territory in an independent Scotland, with a recent paper proposing this in an interim constitution.
- Pollard linked the debate to jobs and investment, saying defence work sustains well‑paid roles on the Clyde and at Rosyth, while the SNP said Scotland could redirect its multibillion‑pound contribution to build its own conventional capability.
- Recent SNP changes lifted a longstanding ban on public investment in munitions but imposed strict conditions, including exclusions for firms with links to Israel, which industry figures say could limit eligibility for contracts.