Starmer’s Big Pitch: From Shipyards to Submarine Expansion
It’s not every day the UK sees a Prime Minister stand among half-built warships and call for a return to Cold War-style defence spending, but that’s exactly what happened in Glasgow. Keir Starmer, determined to make the UK a ‘battle-ready, armour-clad nation,’ set out sweeping military plans that go well beyond routine budget talk.
At a shipyard filled with the iron and noise of Type 26 frigates coming alive, Starmer showed he means business on defence. He’s promising to up Britain’s defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, and—if the economy allows—take it up to 3% in the next Parliament. For context, NATO wants allies to hit 2% now and hopes for 3.5% by 2032, so the UK is aiming to leap ahead, at least on paper.
The heart of this plan is submarines. Starmer says the UK will build as many as 12 new nuclear-powered attack subs under AUKUS, the security pact with the US and Australia. The building pace is set to pick up fast, with a shiny new sub destined to roll out every year and a half. That’s not just about flexing at sea—these projects come with over a thousand new engineering jobs and spillover business in steel, electronics, and logistics across the country.
But that’s not all. There’s money lined up for six new munitions factories, promising to churn out vast stocks of long-range weapons. Starmer’s message is clear: Britain doesn’t just want a bigger arsenal—it wants a “more lethal” military force that’s ready to respond at speed if trouble flares up anywhere in the world.
Promises, Pressure, and Pushback
Why now? Starmer points to “direct threats” from powerful states and says the UK can’t afford to let its armed forces get any thinner or older. Anyone who remembers headlines about depleted ammunition stocks or ships stuck at dock knows what he’s talking about. The goal is “warfighting readiness,” reversing what some in the military call years of “hollowing out.” He’s even launching a Strategic Defence Review to make sure these upgrades happen quickly and sensibly.
This big defence push isn’t floating by without questions, though. Some in Parliament, like Lib Dem MP Helen Maguire and ex-Foreign Secretary Sir James Cleverly, say Starmer isn’t being straight about where the cash will come from. Defence experts are also weighing in, picking apart the review and wondering if you can really ramp up hiring, factories, and new missile systems at this pace with the numbers on offer.
There's a lot riding on Starmer’s ability to stick to these targets. Critics want more detail on how the money will really be spent, and what the “trade-offs” will be. For example: if more is spent on UK defence, does something else lose out? Will the submarines be delivered on time and on budget—a question that haunts every big military project? And as AUKUS gets more central, how will the UK balance its own needs with the demands of its allies?
Starmer is betting that strong words and even stronger numbers will restore confidence in Britain’s military strength both at home and on the world stage. He calls this a “significant step” towards keeping the UK safe in an uncertain world. One thing’s sure: with billions more at stake and the world watching, the pressure’s on—not just to announce, but to deliver.
Write a comment