Burnham says nuclear sub investment will protect UK and boost jobs

Andy Burnham has stated that ongoing investment in nuclear submarines will not only "protect Britain for decades to come" but also create 47,000 jobs and apprenticeships.

Ahead of his visit to Barrow-in-Furness, where four new Dreadnought-class submarines are under construction, the prime minister remarked, "Security is not only about what we build, it is about who builds it, and who benefits from it."

The initiative to replace the current nuclear submarines will receive £8.4 billion to advance the readiness of the new vessels for service.

James Cartlidge, the Conservative shadow defence secretary, acknowledged the progress of the submarine program but accused Burnham of "failing to commit" to fully funding defence.

Burnham has expressed his intention to uphold the UK's defence spending commitments, including meeting NATO's target of allocating 3.5% of national income to defence by 2035. Both he and his new Chancellor, John Healey, face the challenge of securing the additional funds required to fulfill this pledge.

Separately, Streeting emphasized the need for defence to eliminate waste and maximize value for money, while a BAE boss warned of the UK's complacency regarding the threat of war.

The Dreadnought-class submarines are set to replace the UK's four Vanguard-class vessels, which have been operational since 1992, carrying Trident missiles as a nuclear deterrent. The Vanguard submarines are scheduled for retirement in the 2030s, with the Dreadnoughts entering service concurrently.

This project has been in development for 20 years, initially announced in 2006 by then-Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair. A decade later, in 2016, Members of Parliament formally approved the construction of the new submarines.

Thursday's announcement of £8.4 billion marks the commencement of what is termed the fourth phase of the project. This expenditure was pre-planned and incorporated into the Defence Investment Plan, which was released during the final days of Sir Keir Starmer's government. The plan outlined £63.6 billion over the next four years for the Defence Nuclear Enterprise.

The majority of these funds (£47 billion) will be allocated to maintaining the operational status of nuclear submarines, continuing with the Dreadnoughts, initiating work on their potential replacements in 30 years, constructing several other new submarines, and upgrading the UK's naval docks and manufacturing facilities.

During his visit to Barrow-in-Furness, the prime minister intends to highlight the economic advantages of defence spending for the nation. "The submarines produced in Barrow will protect Britain for decades to come, and the 47,000 jobs and apprenticeships will change lives both in this town and in dozens of places like it," he stated before his visit. "British money, spent on British workers, British firms and British skills, in the places that were written off for 40 years."

The government asserts that current spending on the UK's nuclear defence supports approximately 47,000 British jobs, with a projected increase to 65,000 by 2030, including 22,000 apprenticeships by 2035.

Since assuming the role of prime minister, Burnham has expressed a desire to reduce the number of young people not in employment, education, or training, and has announced funding to support those starting apprenticeships.

In a further move, Burnham has indicated that the public procurement process, which determines how taxpayer money is spent, will favor companies offering 45-day work placements. Speaking on the Jimmy's Jobs of the Future podcast, he mentioned there would be "more social value weighting in public contracts," with a particular emphasis on firms providing such placements. He attributed this initiative to his experience as Greater Manchester mayor, where he observed an increase in 45-day placements offered by private firms. However, the announcement provided limited details regarding the scope of these changes, their implementation, and the expected number of firms that would adopt these placements as a result.