This country faces growing threats to our security, more serious and less predictable than at any time in a generation.
Russian aggression is increasing, cyber-attacks strike us every day, and war rages in Europe. It’s clear that the world is changing, so defence must too.
That’s why Keir Starmer has announced the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War to rising to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with an additional £5bn for defence this year, and a new ambition to hit 3% of GDP on defence in the next Parliament.
And it’s why this Labour Government is [today publishing a root-and-branch Strategic Defence Review – to make Britain’s Armed Forces stronger and the people of Britain safer.
The last Conservative Government hollowed out and underfunded our Armed Forces. They’ve even admitted as much.
It was an unforgivable act of national self-harm. That ends with Labour.
Through our SDR we will reverse Tory hollowing out and renew the nation’s contract with those who serve.
That’s why we have awarded the largest pay rise to service personnel in 20 years, are establishing a new independent Armed Force Commissioner to improve service life and are spending an extra £1.5 billion – a record uplift – to fix substandard forces housing.
We see increasing defence spending as a ‘defence dividend’, and through the SDR we will ensure this benefits hard working people up and down Britain. Because defence is an engine for growth, here in Portsmouth and across the UK.
We will ensure towns like ours gain the jobs, apprenticeships and business start-ups that defence investment brings.
We will build at least six new munitions factories, and 7,000 more long-range weapons here in the UK, creating 1,800 highly-skilled jobs across the country.
And we will expand the UK’s attack submarine programme, building up to 12 new attack subs as part of the AUKUS programme, building on the £15 billion investment in our sovereign warhead programme during this parliament, and supporting 9,000 jobs.
This SDR sets a new vision, part of this Government’s drive for national renewal and delivering on our Plan for Change. It is a landmark shift in our deterrence and defence: moving to warfighting readiness to deter threats and to strengthen our leadership in a stronger Nato, and putting the men and women of our Armed Forces at the heart of this review.
This is a new era of threat – and this is a new era for defence. Jobs will be created. Towns will thrive. Working people will be better off. And we will make Britain more secure at home, and strong abroad.
