Starmer promises 'good, well-paid jobs' across Scotland as he places UK on war footing

Sir Keir Starmer has placed the UK on a war footing as he promised “good, well-paid jobs” across Scotland as a result of his plans to increase defence spending.

The Prime Minister said the new strategic defence review would protect 25,000 existing jobs north of the Border and 400,000 across the UK.

Military drones and lasers will receive a £5 billion investment as the Government bids to put "the kit of the future into the hands of frontline troops".

The funding, announced by Defence Secretary John Healey , includes £4 billion for drones and autonomous systems, and an extra £1 billion for lasers to protect British ships and soldiers.

Sir Keir said he was “100 per cent confident” the review’s recommendations – including extra attack submarines, £15 billion on nuclear warheads and thousands of new long-range weapons – could be delivered on current funding plans.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer | PA

Launching the review in the shadow of Type 26 frigates being built in BAE Systems’ shipyard in Govan, Sir Keir criticised the SNP’s opposition to the Trident nuclear deterrent, insisting its removal would undermine the safety and security of the country.

Sir Keir said “three fundamental changes” would be made to the UK’s defence. “First, we are moving to war-fighting readiness as the central purpose of our armed forces,” he said.

“When we are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces, the most effective way to deter them is to be ready, and frankly, to show them that we’re ready to deliver peace through strength.”

The second change is that the Government will adopt a “Nato-first” stance towards defence so that everything it does adds to the strength of the alliance.

Sir Keir added: “Third, we will innovate and accelerate innovation at a wartime pace, so we can meet the threats of today and of tomorrow, as the fastest innovator in Nato.”

The plans will see the delivery of up to 12 attack submarines, as well as the procurement of up to 7,000 long-range weapons built in the UK and the opening of at least six new munitions factories.

The Prime Minister said he wanted to “mobilise the nation in a common cause, recognising in these dangerous times that when it comes to defence of the realm and the defence of everything that we hold dear, nothing works unless we all work together”.

The Government has highlighted the “defence dividend” of the extra billions being spent, with claims that “30,000 highly-skilled jobs” will be supported by the measures.

During his press conference in Govan, Sir Keir was asked how the review will benefit workers such as those at the Rosyth naval dockyard in Fife.

He said he wanted to see the plans measured “in good, well-paid jobs in Fife and across Scotland, because never forget the supply chains that are feeding into the major defence and security sectors”.

The Government will increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product from April 2027 with an ambition – but no firm commitment – to increase it to 3 per cent during the next parliament.

The Prime Minister insisted his plans could be funded within the 2.5 per cent commitment.

“I’m 100 per cent confident that this can be delivered because that was baked in from the very start of the review as one of the first conversations we had with the reviewers,” he said.

“Because what I wanted was to meet the new threats, the new instability, with a plan that matched our capability with the risk that we face as a nation.”

The Review recommended a greater focus on new technology, including artificial intelligence and drones, as an "immediate priority".

Mr Healey said the investment would provide "the most significant advance in UK defence technology in decades" and "ensure our armed forces have the cutting-edge capabilities they need to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world".

He added: "We are delivering the Strategic Defence Review's vision to put the UK at the leading edge of innovation in Nato , by backing British industry and fast-tracking the kit of the future into the hands of frontline troops."

Part of the investment will see the establishment of a new "drone centre" to accelerate the deployment of the technology by all three branches of the armed forces.

The focus on drones comes as the technology has proven increasingly lethal on the battlefield in Ukraine , where it now kills more people than traditional artillery.

At a meeting of allied defence ministers in April, Mr Healey said the UK estimated drones were inflicting 70-80 per cent of battlefield casualties, while on Sunday Ukraine launched a major attack on Russian airfields deep behind the front line using a fleet of small drones.

In addition to investment in drones and AI, the Government has announced an additional £1 billion for the development of "directed energy weapons" (DEWs) during the current parliament.

This includes the DragonFire laser scheduled to be fitted to the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers from 2027, with a similar system provided for the Army by the end of the decade.

DragonFire and other DEWs are intended to provide a lower-cost form of air defence against targets including drones, costing just £10 per shot compared with the thousands of pounds it costs to fire existing weapons.

Mr Healey also told MPs he wants to “increase the British Army to at least 76,000 full-time soldiers in the next Parliament”.

The report also advocates an expansion in the cadet forces by 30 per cent by 2030, with an overall of 250,000 signed up in the longer term.

According to the MoD, as of April 2024 there were “over 139,000 young people and 26,000 adult volunteers” across cadet units in the UK.

US President Donald Trump has been pushing for European countries to dramatically increase their defence spending rather than relying on Washington to subsidise the cost of their security.

He has called for a 5 per cent spending target, while Nato general secretary Mark Rutte has reportedly asked for members to spend 3.5 per cent on their militaries by 2032 with a further 1.5 per cent on defence-related projects.

The Conservatives and Lib Dems have questioned Labour’s commitment to funding the promises it has made.

Elsewhere, Sir Keir attacked the SNP’s opposition to Trident. During the event in Govan, he was asked whether his priorities matched those of the public.

"I think the security and safety of everyone in Scotland is paramount, absolutely paramount,” the Prime Minister said.

“I can’t imagine anybody who seriously wants to be prime minister of this country, coming to Scotland and saying that the first priority is not the safety and security of Scotland, consider the consequences of somebody as prime minister saying that.

“And remind ourselves that at this time of renewed threat and instability across Europe, the SNP’s position is to get rid of our nuclear deterrent, the single most important part of our capability that has kept Scotland and the United Kingdom safe for many, many years.

"And at this moment, they renew their pledge to get rid of our nuclear deterrent. Imagine the effect that would have on the safety and security of the United Kingdom and of Scotland."

First Minister John Swinney recently argued the billions of pounds spent servicing Trident, which is based at HM Naval Base Clyde, Faslane, would be better spent on conventional weapons.

Speaking in February, he said nuclear weapons provide “no tangible or realistic benefit to the military challenges that we face at this moment and are likely to face in future, and indeed I think they are an inhibitor because of the resources that they command”.

The SNP leader added: “There are other choices on defence expenditure to be made. I think not renewing the trident nuclear system would enable us to make a broader set of choices than we are able to make if the UK commits to renewing the Trident missile system.”