Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect union, commenting on
the commitment by to spend more money on defence
and ''set the bar high for decisions to spend abroad" said:
"Prospect have been campaigning for many years to deliver more
defence spending, and for more of that spending to deliver
skilled jobs here in the UK.
"We have a world-leading workforce in the defence sector, which
delivers jobs and growth for communities up and down the country.
"By committing that more of this money will be spent in the UK,
we support both our armed forces and this vital workforce, and we
hope all parties will match this pledge."
Ends
Note to editors
-
set out his commitment in an
op-ed for the Daily Mail on Friday morning: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-13299023/KEIR-STARMER-commitment-UKs-nuclear-deterrent-Unshakeable-Absolute-Total.html
-
"I want to see more homegrown involvement in the
nuclear submarine supply chain – and our wider defence
manufacturing. With Labour, the defence industry will be
hardwired into my national mission to drive economic
growth across the UK.
Beyond Barrow, more than 1,500 firms across the
length and breadth of the UK help supply the
Dreadnought submarine programme. But I believe we
can do better. We'll direct British defence investment
first to British businesses. We'll ensure as much of our
defence equipment as possible is designed and built in
the UK.
And we'll set the bar higher for any decisions to buy
abroad – making sure it's not just how much you spend,
but how well you spend it."
- Prospect published a report in 2023 arguing for fundamental
reform of defence procurement, setting out how to change the
rules and regulations governing procurement to make it more
effective and prioritise the promotion and protection of the UK's
sovereign capabilities in defence. The report, Design, Build
and Maintain: Effective Defence Procurement, can be read
here: https://prospect.org.uk/news/prospect-launches-report-on-effective-defence-procurement-with-panel-of-expert-contributors
