Strategic Defence Review: Industry and jobs at the heart of Britain’s security
The government’s Strategic Defence Review rightly puts UK industry and defence jobs at the heart of Britain’s security, says Prospect.
Among the announcements are £1.5bn to be spent on six new munitions factories, creating more than 1,000 jobs and building up to a dozen new attack submarines.
Responding to the news, Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy said:
“In a time of mounting global threats, the Strategic Defence Review rightly puts UK industry and defence jobs at the heart of Britain’s security.
“Increased spending is welcome and necessary along with the recognition that that this spending can be a cornerstone of our economic recovery as well as delivering sovereign capability. We now need to get the details right, which is why this big picture commitment must also be matched by a defence industrial strategy which addresses skills challenges and safeguards our industrial base across the country.
“UK defence is only as strong as its people, whether in industry or in the public sector. Investing in them, including in MOD capabilities, and creating an inclusive defence working culture is the way to translate this spending into both improved security and tangible benefits for communities.”
On commitments on shipbuilding and the nuclear deterrent, Mike Clancy added:
“The long-term sustainability of our shipyards requires a steady pipeline of contracts so the commitment to increasing the navy’s complement of frigates and destroyers is welcome, as is the commitment to new submarines. Sovereign capability is essential and the days of commissioning foreign shipyards to build British ships should be firmly confined to history. This happened because of a fixation on headline cost in procurement processes, and a lack of understanding of the impacts of decisions on resilience and our skills base. Moving away from this approach to procurement is an essential step if we are to realise the potential of this review.
“As we replace our ageing nuclear deterrent we must also upgrade the facilities where the weapons are built and maintained. £15bn extra funding will help safeguard jobs and skills in this critical aspect of our national security.”
