UK lacks defence strategy, MPs say, as plan unveiled for more weapons factories – UK politics live – UK politics live

Defence secretary will commit to ‘building the factories of the future in Britain’ Good morning. Rachel Reeves will be unveiling her budget a week today, but the roll-out of budget-related news has already started and this morning John Healey, the defence secretary, will hold a press conference to announce that the government has identified 13 sites for new munitions factory.In a news release, the Ministry of Defence says Healey will commit to “building the factories of the future in Britain” and expects industry to break ground on the first energetics factory in the next year. The MoD says:The defence secretary will confirm that MoD has now funded a number of feasibility studies for the new energetics factories to kickstart high volume energetics production at scale for the first time in nearly two decades. The engineering design work on the first of these factories has been commissioned with a view to start production for UK armed forces and to enable our continued support to Ukraine. Potential sites include Grangemouth in Scotland, Teesside in Northeast England, and Milton Haven in Wales. The factories will produce the components essential for bolstering the UK’s weapons arsenal including propellants, explosives and pyrotechnics.The UK’s defence industrial base is not yet configured for sustained collective defence. It faces challenges in capacity, skills, innovation, procurement, and financing. The SDR [strategic defence review] and defence industrial strategy outline a reform agenda, but implementation will be key. The government must ensure that defence finance is accessible, predictable, and resilient— including for SMEs and start-ups.The UK lacks a plan for defending the homeland and overseas territories with little progress on the home defence programme. The prime minister’s ‘national conversation on defence and security’, highlighted in the SDR, is yet to start. The proposed defence readiness bill, vital to empower government in the event of crisis or conflict, has not yet been written. The government must improve cross-departmental coordination, clarify responsibilities, and engage the public meaningfully in preparedness efforts. Continue reading...