Fresh debate over defence spending has emerged during Armed Forces Week after the SNP highlighted new analysis showing long term reductions in military personnel, equipment and defence expenditure across the UK.

Research commissioned by the party and compiled by the House of Commons Library suggests the size of the UK’s armed forces has fallen significantly over the past four decades, with the number of personnel now less than half the level recorded in the late 1970s.

According to the figures, total armed forces personnel stood at around 315,000 in 1979, falling to almost 138,000 by April this year.

The analysis also points to a decline in the number of military personnel based in Scotland, which it says has reduced from more than 19,000 in 1979 to fewer than 10,000 by 2025.

Changes within Scotland’s military landscape have also seen historic regiments amalgamated into The Royal Regiment of Scotland, while the number of Royal Navy vessels, submarines and other military assets has reduced over the same period.

The debate comes as Armed Forces Week is being marked across the Highlands and throughout the UK, recognising the contribution made by serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families.

SNP Westminster Leader Dave Doogan MP said:

“The Labour government is failing to take national security seriously enough, following decades of Westminster cuts to our armed forces, which have left the UK increasingly vulnerable.

“Every Labour Party and Tory government, for more than half a century, have made increasingly deeper cuts to our armed forces, slashing the size of the army, navy and RAF, reducing Scottish regiments, depleting equipment, and cutting the number of combat vehicles, naval ships and aircraft.

“By failing to deliver the investment needed, Westminster is putting Scotland’s safety at risk.”

Mr Doogan said greater investment in conventional defence capabilities was needed and called on the next UK Prime Minister to prioritise defence spending.

The figures cited by the SNP indicate defence spending has fallen as a proportion of GDP over recent decades, although successive UK governments have argued that changing security threats, technological advances and modernisation programmes have reshaped the requirements of the armed forces.

Defence remains a reserved matter, with decisions on military spending, personnel numbers and procurement taken by the UK Government.

As communities across the Highlands mark Armed Forces Week, the discussion highlights wider questions about the future shape of Britain’s armed forces, the resources available to them and the role Scotland continues to play within the UK’s defence network.