Prime Minister visits Cammell Laird after announcing huge rise in defence funding

The Prime Minister visited Merseyside today and said he wanted his government’s huge increase in defence spending to turn into jobs for businesses in this region. Sir Keir Starmer was at Wirral’s Cammell Laird shipyard today (Thursday) following meetings on Wednesday evening with Irish leaders in Liverpool.

During his visit to the Birkenhead business he spoke with staff and told them they will play a key role in the defence and security of the country at an increasingly dangerous time. Last week, Sir Keir announced plans to increase defence spending to 2.5% of national income by 2027, funding the rise through cuts to the foreign aid budget. The decision came as leaders across Europe look to step up their defence policies amid fears the US could strike a deal with Russia over its conflict with Ukraine, leaving the continent in a vulnerable position.

But speaking to workers and apprentices at Cammell Laird today, the Prime Minister said he wanted the huge increase in defence spending to be seen as an ‘opportunity’ as well as a key security responsibility. He said shipyards like the one in Birkenhead would play a vital role and could see an increase in work and jobs along the way.

Speaking to the Liverpool ECHO, the Prime Minister said: “On the really important issue of defence and security of our country, last week I announced the highest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, up to 2.5% by 2027, so that’s a really tight timetable and then onward from there. I did that because the defence and security of our country is the first duty of the Prime Minister and I take it extremely seriously.

“So it is a duty but it is also an opportunity because I want to see that extra spend go into British jobs, British skills, British opportunities and British businesses like Cammell Laird. They have a fantastic workforce here and their strapline is ‘proud to support those who serve’ and I want to see the extra spend go into jobs in places like this so that we get the economic boom and so that we get economic stability and security as well as the security we need in this country.”

Cammell Laird is a global leader in the maritime defence sector and the Prime Minister urged workers to be proud of their efforts which he said are providing crucial support to the nation’s armed forces.

He said: “Coming and seeing what you are doing is a real highlight for me, you can’t read about this sort of thing, you need to come and see it, the scale of it, the size of it and the skill that is required for what you do. Thank you for what you are doing. ‘Proudly supporting those who serve’ is what I’ve just read in one of your meeting rooms and that is what you do.

“There is always the front line – our armed forces – who are doing a fantastic job, but they wouldn’t be able to do their job if they didn’t have you, proudly supporting what they are doing. So I hope you feel a real sense of pride in the work that you are doing, because you are serving your country.”