Sir Keir Starmer has touted his £13.4billion defence spending boost as a victory for British jobs and British workers.
Speaking to GB News at Cammell Lairds shipbuilders in the Wirral, the Prime Minister framed the increase in defence spending announced last week as good news for jobs in the UK and hinted at it providing ammunition for his Government's commitment to growth.
He said the biggest sustained increase since the Cold War must be "translated not only into the capability we need on the front line, but also into the secure jobs in our economy".
Starmer addressed workers and apprenticeships at the shipbuilding site, which make warships such as Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy and also commercial vessels like the new Mersey ferry.
Sir Keir Starmer in Merseyside
GB NEWS
The site provides around 650 jobs for the region. Paying tribute to the companies operating at the facility, the Prime Minister said: "The apprentices and the workers here are serving their country as well, because they're building the capability which is used on the front line."
Despite the jump in defence spending being expensive, the Prime Minister stressed: “We need to make sure that that spend is in our country, in our jobs, in places like this. So this is about economic stability, just as much about defence and security.”
Other British companies, such as BAE Systems and Rolls Royce, now appear well placed to benefit from Europe’s abrupt awakening to the need to be able to defend itself.
The development comes after decades of living in a time when war in Europe seemed to be in the past and the continent could rely on the US having its back.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (centre) walks with Cammel Laird's chief executive officer David McGinley (left) and Labour MP for Birkenhead Alison McGovern (right) toward RFA Tidespring at Cammell Laird dock
PA
However, Emmanuel Macron last night warned that Russia is “a menace” and confirmed France will have 1.5 million troops by 2030.
Macron also warned: “I want to believe that the United States will stay by our side, but we have to be ready if they don’t.”
The French President and Britain's Prime Minister have looked to spearhead Europe’s response to the changed world the continent finds itself in since Donald Trump picked up the phone to Russian leader Vladimir Putin three weeks ago.
Speaking in the House of Commons just yesterday, the Prime Minister told MPs that the US remains “an indispensable ally”.
However, Trump shocked the West by cutting off aid to Ukraine and stopping sharing intelligence, with reports of Washington removing visas for 250,000 Ukrainians raising eyebrows further.
Starmer speaks to military personnel on RFA Tidespring at Cammell Laird dock in Birkenhead, Liverpool
PA
When asked to level with the British people on the issue of the special relationship, Starmer told GB News: “We’ve enjoyed 80 years of peace and we've enjoyed 80 years of peace because we've had such a close relationship with the United States.
"We are closer than any other country to the United States when it comes to our defence, our security, our intelligence sharing.
"And we've worked with our European partners within Nato, which is, um, the most important alliance the world has ever seen.”
He added: “I’m not pretending any of this is easy, but we need to keep our eyes on what is it we're trying to achieve.
"And that is lasting peace in Ukraine with a deal. If there is a deal that is then defended because we know from history that Putin will breach deals, he's done it in the past, so it's got to be properly defended.”
