Scottish Ship Building Job Losses: You Can Take a Horse To......

All the Scottish media, such as the Herald, have today covered the story of the potential job losses at the Ferguson yard. Yesterday J Arthur MacNumpty covered the ability of an independent Scotland to respond to change, with a follow up here, an ecology of independence.



In April last year every single MSP was sent the consultancy document Scotland: The World's First Ecological Superpower. That is every single MSP, even the ones the media are quoting and are making statements. I have many replies or receipts. The document specifically outlined the strategy to ensure a secure future, and need, for the Scottish ship building industry.

It just seems every MSP is involved in a blame game against the other parties and not having the courage and vision to make a better future for Scotland, which includes the once great ship building industry. I am pretty certain I heard that there are at present 20,000 ships world wide under construction (will have to check that) and we cannot keep 100 men in a job.



Scotland has the opportunity to respond to the needs of the global ecological revolution and lead the world. Why are our politicians involved in some pointless do nothing round of name calling and not getting on with the programme of making Scotland the world leader in maritime and oceanographic industries? Scotland was once. Why are we not doing it again? The world needs Scotland and the political establishment is not rising to the challenge.



Do you know what the saddest thing was? There was a Jim Moohan from the 'Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions' who was in all the TV and press coverage of the situation. So I thought I would contact him and tell him what every member of the Executive knew and what every MSP knew nearly 12 months ago. So I Googled his union for his contact details, well you try it as well. It's 2007 and the union doesn't have a website, well at least not in the top 100 hits in Google.



I sit here crying, tears flowing from my eyes in numbness and bewilderment. When I left school I did an engineering apprenticeship. Foundries, boiler shops, machine shops, drawing office, fabrication. 2500 of us could make anything you wanted. All gone, and when you see a 100 men making a last stand to protect something so pure and vital, the ability to do, the ability to make, the ability to create something tangible and real. Something that lives, something you have a pride and a connection with, something that when you see it, you can say, "I did that". When you want to help in some small way, you cannot even use the first choice of communication of the modern world.

How can you build a nation if you can't build a ship? How can you build a future if you can't build a ship? How can you put a planet back together and ensure a future for the continuance of all life if you can't build a ship? How can you build hope in a troubled world if you can't build a ship?

Well I suppose you could always build one as a weapon of war and destruction. £25 billion, a bargain, thank you very much. Somehow I think we have our priorities slightly wrong.