New contract at Ferguson is shot in the arm for Scots ship building industry

Daily Record

2 days ago

Shipbuilding remains Glasgow's single biggest manufacturing industry.
Thousands of men and women are hard at work every day at the two shipyards at Govan and Scotstoun, building the next generation of frigates for the Royal Navy.
The order book is full until the 2030s and BAE Systems, the defence giant which runs the sites, struggles to fill all of the available apprenticeship schemes.
It is a different story down river at the much smaller Ferguson Marine yard, which has historically built ferries, not complex warships.
Nationalised by the SNP government in 2019, it was lumbered with a needlessly complex design for two car ferries which it simply could not finish on time.
Delay after delay turned an industrial story into a political scandal.
But there was good news yesterday when it was announced that Ferguson workers will help fabricate three parts
of HMS Birmingham, which is already being assembled at Govan.
The naval order is a welcome shot in the arm for the yard and will hopefully tide it over until other orders can be secured.
Shipbuilding is an iconic industry in Scotland and particularly on the Clyde.
The term Clydebuilt was once a synonym for world class, denoting a quality of workmanship in the magnificent vessels that were built along the famous old river.
Increased investment, followed by new contracts, should be welcomed by anyone who cares about Scottish industry of which shipbuilding is an integral part.
Save our ailing pubs and bars
The news that Scotland's pub culture is under threat is a growing concern.
Since 2020, more than 200 pubs and bars have closed with industry experts describing the situation as critical.
That's why there are now calls on both the Scottish and UK governments to provide greater rates relief and reduction, if not a reduction of the VAT charges which, at 20 per cent, eat a chunk of profits.
Rising costs mean more pubs and bars will go to the wall in the coming year.
What we need to remember is that pubs and bars are not drinking dens, as the puritans and temperance movement might have called them.
They are a community gathering point, a hub where people can meet, perhaps get a bite and socialise.
Demands made by those at the sharp end in the licensed trade should be taken seriously.