Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to travel to Barrow-in-Furness on Thursday to launch the next phase of the nuclear submarine replacement programme, placing the renewal of Trident at the centre of his vision for a reindustrialised Britain. He intends to highlight defence spending, such as the £31bn Dreadnought-class boats built in the Cumbrian town, as an example of taxpayer investment revitalising communities across the UK.
Downing Street announced that a new phase of contracts, valued at £8.4bn and part of the existing Dreadnought programme, is projected to support 18,000 additional jobs in nuclear defence by 2030 and 22,000 new apprentices by 2035. Burnham stated, "Keeping this country safe is the first responsibility of any government – but security is not only about what we build; it is about who builds it, and who benefits from it."
The largest portion of this latest work phase in the Dreadnought programme has been awarded to BAE Systems, which owns the Barrow shipyard. The British defence company has secured a new £5.9bn contract to complete the construction of the first four new boats, including HMS Dreadnought, aiming for service readiness in the early 2030s. The overall Dreadnought programme is valued at £31bn and includes a £10bn contingency fund.
The visit also provides an opportunity for Burnham to reinforce his pro-Trident stance. He voted in favour of building the new submarines in 2016, a time when the Labour party was divided on the issue. The UK's military nuclear activities currently support 47,000 jobs, with 13,500 of these located in the Barrow shipyard.
Burnham, who took office just over a week ago, has committed to a Nato pledge to increase defence spending by over £25bn annually to reach 3.5% of GDP by 2035. However, at a press conference on Wednesday, he did not commit to an interim target of 3% by 2030, instead referring to the existing UK pledge to meet the Nato target by 2035.