Maintaining skills and jobs has to be at the heart of any industrial strategy

The government is publishing a Defence Industrial Strategy including setting up a Defence Industrial Council to try to maximise the domestic economic benefit from defence spending.

Mike Clancy, General Secretary Prospect, said:

“For too long the UK has been without a coherent defence industrial strategy which has cost us jobs and impacted sovereign capability.

“No one expects a country like Britain to produce every single piece of defence equipment we use. But we can deliver some world leading capabilities, which we need to commit to, giving industry certainty to invest and maximising the chance of export orders. The commitment to a new industrial strategy is welcome and goes some way to addressing the short-sighted failings of the past.

“Maintaining skills and jobs has to be at the heart of any industrial strategy and unions are well-placed to advice on how to do that. A comprehensive cooperative approach involving workers, the government and employers will deliver for communities across the country.”