£100BILLION BOMBANZA

Expert reveals that PM's decision to invest in high-tech industries here will lead to thousands more jobs in years ahead

- BY DAN VEVERS

KEIR Starmer's major defence expansion plan will mean tens of billions of investment in Scotland's economy, a military intelligence expert has told the Sunday Mail.

Thousands of jobs will be created north of the Border after the Prime Minister travelled to Glasgow last week to announce the largest sustained increase in MoD spending since the Cold War in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR).

One of the authors of the report, international relations expert Fiona Hill, yesterday warned Russia is already "at war" with the UK, and said the US is no longer a reliable ally against Vladimir Putin.

And to counter the threat Philip Ingram, a former colonel and ex-senior Army intelligence officer, has told the Sunday Mail Scotland will need to play a leading role in an "always on" ship-building drive on the River Clyde, upgraded nuclear capability at Faslane, and a massive RAF expansion at Lossiemouth.

He revealed billions will also need to be invested with Scots tech firms to develop drones, satellites, battlefield communications systems, missiles and guidance systems over the next decade.

Ingram said: "This is the first review in recent history that has been about increasing capability rather than cutting it.

"There is also pressure from Nato not to just increase defence budgets to 2.5 per cent of GDP, but to go to 3.5 per cent and even higher.