only putting thousands of jobs at risk but also endangering the specialist skills that the UK needs to make fighter jets, military helicopters, drones and satellites in the future.”
Unite has called on the government to stop what it calls “these acts of self-harm”.
It says the plan must include the replacement of old RAF fighter jets with new Typhoon jets, to secure the future of BAE Systems’ military jet plants at Warton and Samlesbury, and to protect high-value jobs at Rolls-Royce and missile manufacturer MBDA.
STARMER URGED TO STOP ‘DITHERING’ ON DEFENCE
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government’s “dither and delay” over military spending is putting Britain’s security and thousands of defence jobs at risk, union leaders have warned.
Unite, which represents defence workers at BAE Systems plants in Lancashire, issued a damning statement on delays to the publication of The Defence Investment Plan (DIP).
The plan was originally expected to be published alongside the Strategic Defence Review last summer but has been delayed several times.
The union says that uncertainty across the defence manufacturing sector is on the rise and Labour’s biggest union donor revealed it had been in “numerous conversations” with the
government “over many months” urging action, to no avail.
In a statement condemning the delays, Unite said: “This is starting to feel like Alice Through the Looking Glass, where it is always jam tomorrow.
“Allowing speculation about the government buying US made defence equipment instead of high-quality British kit is fuelling uncertainty.
“This is about jobs of course, but it is also a matter of national security. The latest set of threats from President Trump makes buying British and investing in British defence even more imperative.
“And we need these investments in British manufacturing now. The UK currently has the lowest investment rates in the G7.
“The government’s constant dithering is not View from the gallery
TIME FOR ACTION IN UNCERTAIN TIMES By Antony Higginbotham
Former Member of Parliament for Burnley
It is little over four years ago that Russian leader Vladimir Putin launched his full- scale invasion of Ukraine.
I remember my own visit in February 2023, exactly one year in. The damage was enormous, but Ukrainian resolve was unwavering. What was most clear was that the threat to the UK, and Europe overall, was unmistakable. That wasn’t and isn’t hyperbolic. It’s real.
But while the government continues to talk a good game on defence, delivery is essentially stalled. The Defence Investment Plan, promised after last summer’s Strategic Defence Review, slipped from autumn to Christmas and we’re now in 2026 and it still
hasn’t come at the time of writing, though I live in hope.
The consequence? Billions of pounds in vital commitments and entire projects on pause and an industry in Lancashire and beyond that is in limbo.
And from the reporting that we see, there’s not much to be hopeful about when it comes to a solution. The Prime Minister made his commitment about defence funding, which sounded good, but since then there has been no movement.
He has set out no plan on how to achieve the 3.5 per cent NATO target and has put no pressure on the Treasury to match his words with cash. And if recent reports are
Sharon Graham, the Unite general secretary, said: “The government’s inertia on this issue is an act of self-harm. With employers planning in the dark and threatening job losses as a result, the government needs to stop the dither and delay.
“Failing to back British defence manufacturing would be a devastating own goal, destroying jobs and skills.
“When the announcement was made for higher defence spending, it came with guarantees around jobs, skills and innovation. We now need to move beyond the warm words and deliver.”
Unite is urging the government to loosen its fiscal rules, in order to fully invest in defence. Work is underway across Whitehall to explore potential options to overcome a defence funding black hole of up to £28bn over the next decade, according to a Financial Times report.
Sharon Graham said: “So far, we have had promise after promise and now at the final hurdle we are being advised that the money may not be there. The first priority of a government is to defend its people. That means investing in the British defence industry here at home.
“Unite has called for a change in the fiscal rules to allow the government to borrow to invest. What are they waiting for?”
to be believed, Rachel Reeves is digging in and refusing to offer any additional funding despite the clear need.
What Britain needs now is simple and urgent:
• Publish the Defence Investment Plan immediately
• Commit to long-term, ten-year, defence budget as many allies already do, and fund it fully at the level the Prime Minister committed to, to our NATO allies
• Develop a risk-friendly profile when it comes to new and emerging technology
• Support SMEs to scale up production capacity now, to avoid more wasted years
I know that Lancashire’s defence manufacturers stand ready. Not just our largest anchor in BAE Systems but the hundreds of specialist firms across the supply chain. As too do our growing cyber security and technology businesses.
A clear, long-term funded plan would unlock jobs, innovation and exports that strengthen both national security and our regional economy.
antony@antonyhig.co.uk LANCASHIREBUSINES SV
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