Exclusive: BAE Systems invited both Kate Forbes and John Swinney to celebrate the opening of a huge shipbuilding hall on the Clyde, but both rejected these invites.
The massive Janet Harvey Hall(Image: BAE Systems)
The SNP has been slated after snubbing the chance to celebrate shipbuilding on the Clyde – as well as a famous woman pioneer. The Scottish Government has invested millions in Ferguson Marine, which was also handed a vital contract by BAE Systems to build three major structural components for the Royal Navy’s Type 26 frigate, HMS Birmingham.
Last June, BAE Systems hosted an event to open a giant new shipbuilding hall named after a pioneering female electrician. The Janet Harvey Hall in Govan is big enough for two Type 26 anti-submarine warships to be built side-by-side. Ms Harvey, who worked in the Clyde shipyards from the age of 18, was one of a handful of women alongside a 100,000-strong male workforce in World War Two.
The new facility is part of a £300m modernisation at BAE Systems in Glasgow. The manufacturer invited both John Swinney and Kate Forbes to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony but were rebuffed by both the senior SNP Ministers, who cited that their ministerial diaries were too full.
A freedom of information request revealed that BAE Systems wanted either or both of the First Minister and his Deputy to attend on June 25, but it never happened. It is not known whether any SNP Government official attended the “major step forward for shipbuilding in Glasgow.”
READ MORE: Shipyard welder who moved to Scotland amid SNP skills shortage has won £1m on the lotteryREAD MORE: Struggling Ferguson Marine makes £2.7m loss as taxpayers cash keeps it afloat
Simon Lister, Managing Director of BAE Systems’ naval ships business, said at the time: “The Janet Harvey Hall marks a major step forward for shipbuilding in Glasgow and will help enable efficient and safe shipbuilding for decades to come. It’s a symbol of pride, not just for our skilled workforce who bring these ships to life, but for the entire city.”
Ms Forbes had visited BAE Systems on June 19, a week before this event, to announce a £9.22 million funding package to support training and skills development at its Glasgow shipyards. It is understood that officials didn’t think she should attend again just a week later and that the business was made aware of this, and still has a good relationship with the SNP Government.
The defence manufacturer is building eight Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy. The first vessel HMS Glasgow entered the water in December 2022. HMS Belfast and HMS Birmingham are currently being built in the new hall. It measures 170m (558ft) long and 80m (262ft) wide, with two 100-tonne cranes and two more 20-tonne cranes inside. It will allow warships to be built fully undercover in Glasgow for the first time and reduce the time between ship deliveries.
Rivals blasted this snub as “shameful.” Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser told the Scottish Daily Express: “This shameful snub confirms the SNP’s contempt for the defence industry in Scotland. While they have been happy to plough hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ money into Ferguson Marine, they were once again strangely absent when it came to celebrating this significant investment at BAE Systems.
“This was a perfect opportunity for the SNP’s leader and deputy First Minister to champion this investment and they should come clean as to why they thought this wasn’t worth attending.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The Deputy First Minister visited BAE systems on 19 June to announce Scottish Enterprise funding of more than £9 million to support a training and skills academy as part of a project to modernise shipyards on the Clyde. This visit was planned months in advance.
“Unfortunately the invitation to the opening of Janet Harvie Hall the following week came in too late for Ministerial diaries to accommodate. The Scottish Government and its enterprise agencies support the defence sector which is fundamental to our national security and a strategic driver of Scotland’s future workforce, supporting high-quality jobs and playing a vital role in economic growth.”
Never miss the latest top headlines from the Scottish Daily Express. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
