THE UK Government is under growing pressure to explain a decision to hand a vital £1.6billion ship order to a Spanish-led team, with Scottish yards “losing out on work”.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced in November a contract for three new military support ships had been won by a consortium called Team Resolute, involving Spanish government-owned Navantia, Harland & Wolff and Bath-based BMT.
But the decision has sparked a huge backlash, with questions over the amount of high-value work that will go to Spain under the arrangement, despite pledges the majority of the Royal Navy ships will be constructed in yards in Belfast and Devon.
