A PLEDGED £500m investment is set to secure the future of thousands of jobs at the naval base which provides a home for the country’s nuclear deterrent.

HM Naval Base Clyde in Scotland - commonly known as Faslane - hosts the UK’s entire submarine fleet. Most recently it welcomed Artful, the third Astute class submarine built by BAE employees in Barrow, the 7,400-tonne vessel having travelled there after leaving the town’s construction yard on August 13. 

One of seven planned Royal Navy Astute class attack submarines, Artful is now undergoing rigorous testing at her new home around 40 miles from Glasgow. 

The new 10-year programme of work at Faslane, announced by chancellor George Osborne yesterday, will begin in 2017 and is said to secure the jobs of 12,600 people across Scotland. The work will include the construction of sea walls, jetties and other projects as the base gets ready to host the country’s submarine fleet. 


George Osborne Mr Osborne said: “We are committed to replacing Britain's nuclear deterrent, because these submarines represent our ultimate insurance policy and we want to make a decision now to keep our country safe into the 2030s, the 2050s, the 2060s, a long time hence.  In a dangerous and uncertain world, we've got to take those steps.”

The chancellor criticised members of the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru, as well as some left-wing members of the Labour party, who oppose the renewal of the Trident missile system.

They have instead called for investment at Faslane to instead come in the form of spending on conventional defence forces, and accused the government of pre-empting a vote and official decision on Trident’s renewal.

The future of the country’s nuclear deterrent has been a subject firmly at the forefront of many minds recently, as the battle for the Labour leadership rages on.

Frontrunner, Jeremy Corbyn, is openly opposed to Trident and local party representatives including Barrow’s MP and council leader have voiced their concerns about his potential success. With a vote on the issue set to take place in 2016, however, a decision could be set in stone long before the next general election.