The Telegraph
Military ships and all defence equipment that can be built in the UK should not be outsourced abroad, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Labour leader has called on the Government to ensure that any defence projects that can be feasibly made in the UK “should be done in Britain”, amid concerns that many initiatives are being bought “off the shelf” from foreign countries. On a visit to dockyards in Plymouth on Wednesday, Sir Keir said: "We say there should be a threshold, which means that, unless you can prove that equipment and projects can't be done in Britain, they should be done in Britain. He added: “That hasn't been the position for the last 10 years, and 30,000 jobs in defence, in procurement and projects have been lost. We cannot afford to make that mistake again, particularly coming out of the pandemic, and it matters in places like Plymouth. It really matters." Sir Keir added that “prioritising British businesses through defence spending is not only investment in jobs, but in our communities, and a more secure economy”. It comes after Labour ministers urged the Government to bring in a “British by default” policy, in order to give priority to British-based business. Several deals highlighted by the party that have been outsourced abroad included a £3 billion contract with US giant Boeing, for the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, as well as three Boeing E7 Wedgetail planes, plus orders for three RC-135 Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft, which benefit American firms. It comes after Boris Johnson pledged £16.5 billion for defence last year and declared that the commitment would “spur a renaissance of British shipbuilding across the UK”.
