Scotland being ‘short-changed’ over defence spending – SNP

Scotland is being “short-changed” on defence spending by the UK Labour Government, the SNP has said, as figures show some areas of England see as much as three times more spend per person than Scotland.

The stats from the House of Commons Library show that in 2024-25, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) spent £2.1bn with defence firms in Scotland, amounting to £390 per capita.

At the same time the MoD spent £6.6bn in south-west England, or £1,120 per capita, and £7.9bn in south-east England, amounting to £810 per capita.

In total the MoD spent a total of £31.7bn with UK defence firms last year, amounting to £460 per capita across the country as a whole.

SNP Westminster defence spokesman Dave Doogan branded the figures “indefensible”.

“What these new figures on defence spending clearly demonstrate is Scotland is being short-changed by Westminster – quite frankly it is indefensible for the Labour Government to plough three times more cash into defence in the South West of England compared to Scotland,” he said.

“Despite all the condescending bragging from the Prime Minister and a string of Labour ministers about their supposed investment in Scottish defence, the official figures are in black and white and they don’t lie.

“Snarky Westminster politicians continually demand Scotland’s unquestioning gratitude despite Scottish taxpayers contributing every penny that we then ultimately receive in defence expenditure, but now we know the truth – thankfully international investors continue to show their confidence by placing significant orders.”

He said overseas orders reflected the “engineering excellence, design quality, competitiveness and innovation” of defence manufacturers in Scotland.

He went on: “This is precisely why the Norwegian government placed their £10bn frigate order here in Scotland.

“In so doing Norway have ensured thousands of jobs in Scotland into the future while equipping their Navy with the world’s best anti-submarine ship.

“This competitiveness is something Scotland’s defence sector should be hugely proud of.

“Scotland is home to some of the world’s most advanced manufacturers despite a Westminster system that constantly short-changes us.”

A UK Government spokesperson said: “We are committed to the UK’s space sector and ensuring our regulatory framework supports the growth of the sector while maintaining the highest standards of safety, security and sustainability.

“Alongside this we are investing a record amount in space – allocating £2.8bn to the UK Space Agency through the spending review.

“Our space sector in Scotland is a key recipient of that investment, which will drive economic growth and help secure national security needs across the UK.

“We will continue to work closely with industry to ensure the UK remains an attractive destination for space businesses, innovation and investment to take-off.”