The Prime Minister has said he is insisting there be no delays to the future Type 83 destroyer programme, amid concerns that budget pressures could disrupt momentum in the UK’s shipbuilding sector.
Responding to questions from Labour MP Patricia Ferguson, Keir Starmer said “I do not want delays, and that is why I am insisting that there should not be any delays in the order.” He added that “it is really important that those orders continue in the way that is expected,” signalling an intention to maintain continuity in naval procurement.
He linked the issue directly to the industrial base, stating “shipbuilding is obviously hugely important in Scotland,” and highlighting the recently secured Norwegian frigate deal, which he said would provide “at least a decade’s worth of work in Scotland.” He added that he had visited the Clyde to engage with the workforce and demonstrate that “there is more work in the shipyards for them and for the next generation.”
Starmer also framed shipbuilding within a broader strategic context, noting that the Norway agreement “ensures that there is interoperability between our frigates and Norway’s frigates,” which he described as “an increasingly important part of the strategic work that we are doing.”
On export opportunities, including a potential Danish order for Type 31 frigates to be built at Rosyth, the Prime Minister confirmed the UK was “working very hard on it, including at leader level,” adding “I very much hope we can make progress.” He pointed to existing agreements with Indonesia and Norway, as well as defence cooperation with Turkey, as examples of a wider approach that combines industrial output with closer military integration.
He said such deals are “not just the orders but how we integrate and work strategically with our NATO partners,” underlining a shift toward deeper interoperability and coordination across allied fleets.
Pressed on how to balance exports with domestic fleet requirements at a time when the Royal Navy is under strain, Starmer said “we need both, and we need to get that right,” again emphasising interoperability. “The fact that we and Norway will have the same capability… is a really big step forward,” he said, arguing that standardisation across allies improves operational effectiveness.
He added that lessons from Ukraine had exposed the limitations of fragmented capabilities, stating that “by having different capabilities over the years… it has been more difficult than it otherwise… should have been,” and that he was seeking to improve “co-operation and co-ordination” across European partners.
On wider defence infrastructure, including Faslane and Lossiemouth, Starmer said investment was “kept under constant review” and described maintaining the UK’s nuclear deterrent as “the first priority.” He reflected on a recent visit to Faslane, describing it as “a very humbling experience,” noting the demands placed on submarine crews and their families.
Good.
Now show us the money. T83 cannot be frittered away by making FADS all about the fads.
The T45 still have loads of life left in them. It’s better to push the T83 program and get a couple more T26 built instead. The can still do spiral development on the radar starting with the type 91 sloop and develop a land based equivalent to SAMP/T.
Don’t you need to keep the design skills alive otherwise it dies. Same with advanced radar. Unless the Country is happy to buy a foreign system. The knock on from gapping it would be huge and risks a T23 situation as T45 age and fall apart and no replacement in place. The T45 are likely to be very busy it the world’s situation stays tense.
Top tier land and based GBAB is going to need something more advanced that Aster NT ( 1500km range BMs) if weapons aimed from the mid east are to be countered.
I honestly don’t much about a ships life expectancy other than what I read on sites like this and NL, but surely the type 45 should have plenty of life left in them considering how long they’ve spent sitting in port. Isn’t HMS Daring close to 9 years? So I’d quite happily take a couple more type 31’s with there smaller crew size that wouldn’t cost the world their budget, And make sure with the extra time they design the type 83 to be not just one of the best AAW ships but an all round capable warship ASW and land attack. And if at all possible more than 6.. as proven of late that is simply not enough.
Well, we will hold you to your word Sir Kier. The problem is that there is no money, even less with the increase in the price of oil and gas. There are reports that Heidi Alexander is hoping to save £billions by lowering the target speed requirement for HS2. Hope she succeeds. I’ve also heard that Reeves agrees privately with pragmatic people in the conservative party that the Office of Budget responsibility borrowing rules are unnecessarily restrictive. If she (and Milliband ) could stomach a portion of humble pie, borrow and drill a bit more and given a bit of luck with export orders we might navigate our way to a DIP that’s affordable and acceptable 🤞
The problem is more borrowing is totally non-feasible. Global bond markets absolutely hate gilts owing to years of fiscal and monetary incompetence and every time more spending/borrowing is announced, there is a measurable uptick in yields. Now knocking around 5% gross redemption yield on the 10 year, way beyond any of our peer economies and totally unaffordable at scale. As restrictive as the OBR may or may not be, they are not the important factor here. Forget borrowing
Its a question of spending priorities, the defence uplift is there, its contained within the ‘vast’ welfare budget.
Labour simply won’t go near that, so we are facing a continued decline in our Armed forces.
Most would agree with you Levi. It’s all above my pay grade so I have to trust our elected representatives. I suspect that the reason the UK pays more to borrow is simply that we cannot feed ourselves and are completely dependent on selling some manufacture or service ( even our universities), simply to eat and keep warm. Social unrest is always just a whisper away. Orwell’s 1984 started when you had to key in your reg number to park – arriving after having driven over roads that are disintegrating. Pat Macfadden outlined a strategy for addressing the core problem – a decade long trend of increasing %age of able people not in work. Good luck reversing that. As my grandmother said, you can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. Faith in the UK, is conspicuous by its absence, in more ways than one.
Debt interest alone is 120bn per annim. Debt is what got us into this mess in the first place. The entire Western system is one giant debt fuelled bubble, particularly the US. Growth in the money supply will eventually lead to the greatest crash ever, its on the way regardless of if they can kick the can down the road further.
We don’t need debt, we desperately need economic growth.
Fiat money was a great idea, people tell me. Donald Trump portrait commemorative gold nickels and dimes could be a good investment.
PM insisting no delays to Defence Investment Plan, oh, wait, Type-83 Destroyer now.
Or 12 now then.
.
.
I call BS
Or 12 now then.
I call BS
Show me the money…..
Well we can all trust his word there will never be a U turn so thats is that issue firmly sorted until at least next week.
“Ensures that there is interoperability between our frigates and Norway’s frigates”, which he described as “an increasingly important part of the strategic work that we are doing.” As I understand it, one of the projected 8 Type 26’s has been / will be passed over to Norway leaving only 7 for the RN. One wonders whether “interoperability” will be used as an excuse not to order a replacement for the RN. There were going to be 12 Type 45’s, then it was 8 and finally six.
Sounds positive, but there’s always a but and a doubt, isn’t there.
Does that mean tens of billions lost from other programmes HMG refuse to fund?
It’s got to the stage so many simply don’t believe a word these people say any more…including me.
I’ll wait for the DIP and all the positives in it, Mr Starmer, excluding all the re announcements, spin, and programmes kicked so far down the road the next government pays for them, leaving you to sternly criticise any cuts from the opposition benches.
An old trick.
Yes?