MORE than 16,000 shipbuilding jobs are at risk if the government chooses not to renew a contract to build new military support ships, the GMB has warned.

The union has said it’s a “no-brainer” for Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt to ensure that £1 billion of government funds go to renewing the Fleet Solid Support in order to keep Britain’s shipbuilding industry buoyant.

If the government chooses not to go ahead with building the ships, analysis from the Ministry of Defence itself estimates that approximately 16,400 jobs across the country would be lost.