Defence budget a 'confidence vote' in South West

Government plans to increase the defence budget have been described as a "vote of confidence" in the South West.

On Monday, the government detailed the plans to spend billions moving the UK military to "war-fighting readiness" to meet threats from Russia and China.

Luke Pollard MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport said the South West would benefit through plans for new submarines and technology based in Plymouth.

Pollard said the review was an "incredible opportunity" for the region and that "the things we are good at are mentioned in the defence review."

In the review, the government announced it would build 12 new attack submarines and put an increased focus on autonomous systems, which Pollard said "Plymouth prides itself on".

"The announcement of up to 12 new hunter killer submarines being built in Barrow, they're refitted in Plymouth, so that's a huge boost for jobs in Babcock in due course," he said.

"We've got the expertise, what this defence review sets out is the ambition that in the future we'll have crewed and un-crewed systems sailing alongside themselves, increasing our lethality, creating greater capabilities.

He added: "There is incredible opportunities for the cutting edge manufacturers we have across the South West, some who may not regard themselves as defence companies at the moment, to be able to benefit from that increasing defence budget, that will help create jobs and drive growth right across the region."

In September 2024 the Ministry of Defence announced an additional £4.4bn investment over 10 years into HMNB and Babcock's Devonport Royal Dockyard.

Plymouth City Council launched an economic study to maximise the benefits of the government investment.

Leader of Plymouth City Council Tudor Evans said the investment was "unlike anything" the city had seen before.

"Not just in scale, but in its long-term significance," he said.

"It will shape the future of our economy and our communities, and we need to be ready.

"This research will give us the hard evidence we need to make good decisions now, so that the benefits are felt across the whole city for decades to come".

The review will be undertaken by research consultancies Stantec and Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP).

Brigadier Mike Tanner, the commander of HMNB Devonport, said the investment was "another significant step forward" for Plymouth.

"This opens up massive opportunities for highly paid, high skills work inside the Base and together with the City and Babcock our work in the GAP alliance is centred around ensuring Plymouth and the region create those skilled people locally," he said.

John Gane, managing director for Babcock's Devonport site, said: "Babcock is proud to be deeply rooted in Plymouth, where we're not just creating jobs – we're building careers for life.

"Our investment in people and skills is central to supporting a critical national endeavour, and we remain committed to developing a highly skilled workforce that will sustain both our community and the UK's defence capability for generations to come."

BBC South West Political Editor Martyn Oates asks what is in the announcement for the South West:

Many people would probably have liked more detail as to how exactly the new investment in defence will be spread around the country.

For us in the South West it's a certainty that the maintenance and refitting of the new submarines will take place at Devonport.

That's the established home of nuclear submarine refitting and where the expertise lies.

The Strategic Defence Review also recognised Plymouth's leading role in "marine autonomy" – remote-controlled equipment like drones.

Defence Secretary John Healey announced a doubling in funding for autonomous systems over the course of this Parliament.

It seems reasonable to join the dots and assume a decent chunk of that will be heading for Plymouth.

Defence contractors across the region will welcome talk of opportunities to pursue new government contracts. Could any of the six munitions factories promised find a home in the South West?

But while a lot more money is being pumped into defence, minsters regularly remind us that the public finances generally are in a poor state.

The Chancellor's long-awaited Spending Review next Wednesday should clarify which departments and services will lose as defence gains.

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