There is no greater responsibility for a Government than protecting the nation and its citizens from threats. We are living in an increasingly dangerous world in which those threats are rapidly growing and governments can be slow to respond and adapt.
This Labour Government recognised the emerging threats we face early on and took immediate action to start to prepare the country. At the Budget last year and at the Spending Review earlier this year the Government prioritised a massive boost in defence spending to turn around decline that has seen us left dangerously exposed to threats from Russia and others.
The commitment we made when making tough trade-offs to invest in defence was that communities up and down the country would feel the benefits through an industrial renaissance. We’re now delivering on that commitment.
The submarine building programme we’re delivering is creating thousands of jobs in Barrow and in the supply chain. Hundreds of apprenticeships, graduate roles and skilled positions are being opened each year as the programme scales up. I’ve met several local apprentices working at the shipyard (and I’m doing what I can to fix the trains and buses to get them there and back!)
I want West Cumbria to benefit from this new defence industrial revolution with more jobs closer to home too. Last week saw the announcement of Cumbria as a shortlisted location for a new munitions factory – one of six the government wants to build to make sure we’ve got the resources we need to defend our country and our allies like Ukraine. I want these manufacturing jobs to come here and this announcement follows months of work behind the scenes – I’ve met with the Defence Secretary, with senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, and with defence contractors, to bang the drum for potential sites in West Cumbria.
There is a lot more work to do and Cumberland Council are working to create an attractive offer around local sites to bring those jobs here. I’ll keep championing our community locally and nationally so that we can benefit from this investment.
This opportunity ties in perfectly with my Industrial Plan for West Cumbria and what we’re trying to deliver at Pioneer Park, at the Port of Workington, and with a new clean jet fuel facility: to bring new industries and jobs here and diversify our economy to make it stronger for the future and give local people access to a wider range of opportunities. West Cumbria deserves nothing less.
We must also remember those who’ve sacrificed their lives for our country in conflict and I’m calling for evidence on local war memorials which need maintenance and repair so we can take advantage of some new government funding announced for this purpose. Contact me at joshmacalister.uk/contact with local sites which need renewal.
Josh MacAlister MP 