Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged that continued investment in Britain’s nuclear submarine programme will safeguard the nation for generations while delivering tens of thousands of jobs and apprenticeships across the country. Ahead of a visit to Barrow-in-Furness, where four new Dreadnought-class submarines are under construction, Burnham emphasised that security is not only about what the country builds but who builds it and who reaps the economic rewards. The government has confirmed £8.4 billion in fresh funding to push the project forward, part of a broader £63.6 billion commitment over four years covering what officials call the Defence Nuclear Enterprise. The submarines being built in Barrow will replace the ageing Vanguard-class vessels that have carried Trident missiles since 1992 and are due to be retired in the 2030s.
Burnham was keen to frame the announcement as much as an industrial strategy as a defence one, stressing that British money would be spent on British workers, firms and skills in communities that were neglected for decades. The government says spending on nuclear defence currently supports around 47,000 jobs and is projected to rise to 65,000 by 2030, including 22,000 apprenticeships by 2035. In a move inspired by his time as Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham also announced that public procurement processes will be adjusted to favour companies offering 45-day work placements, though details on how widely this would apply remained thin.
The announcement drew mixed reactions from across the political spectrum. Conservative shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge welcomed progress on the submarine programme but accused Burnham of failing to commit fully to funding defence, while Reform UK’s Danny Kruger dismissed the package as a rehashed spending plan that does nothing to address what he called a crisis in the nuclear programme. Liberal Democrat James MacCleary urged the use of defence bonds to raise dedicated funding for rebuilding armed forces capabilities, and Green Party leader Ellie Chowns questioned pouring billions into weapons that must never be used, arguing ministers should not pretend the nuclear programme is the best way to create employment.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, speaking to BBC Breakfast, refused to confirm whether Burnham would commit to spending 3 percent of GDP on defence, saying only that he was completely confident the prime minister and chancellor would give the military what it needs. Streeting insisted no new spending commitments would be made before the budget or spending review without spelling out how they would be funded. The government faces mounting pressure to outline how it will meet both a NATO target of 3.5 percent of national income by 2035 and its own pledge to raise defence spending to 3 percent of GDP, leaving Burnham and Chancellor Healey with the formidable challenge of finding the money to deliver on promises that stretch well beyond this parliament.
