Mr Cartlidge said: “The sighting of Russian and Chinese vessels in British waters underlines why we cannot afford to be complacent about the threats to the realm. Yet at last week’s Budget, Labour again failed to commit to spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence. Kicking the can down the road is leaving our Armed Forces without the certainty they need.”
Mr Bowie claimed Labour and the Scottish National Party “continue to undermine the very industry that keeps the lights on for businesses and families”.
He said: “The ongoing refusal to back Rosebank and the ban on new oil and gas licences is putting our energy security, thousands of skilled jobs and billions of pounds of investment at risk. Scotland’s energy infrastructure must be given the protection it deserves. That means recognising offshore energy assets as critical national infrastructure and backing our domestic oil and gas industry.”
A Government spokesman said: “National security is our top priority. “We’re delivering nearly £300 billion for defence over the next four years, the biggest sustained increase since the Cold War, and last month we announced plans for new security and resilience laws which would see subsea pipeline and cable saboteurs facing jail and unlimited fines. We continue to work closely with the sector to protect vital offshore and subsea energy infrastructure against a range of threats.”
