Yesterday, the Conservative Government announced an additional £257 million investment for BAE in Barrow to complete the design phase for the Successor programme. Frankly, the news couldn't have come at a better time.
The £257 million will put the next Government in a position to immediately approve Successor when the Main Gate decision comes up next year. That investment is a vote of faith by the Conservative Government in Barrow. It will secure 1,400 jobs at the yard and give BAE the security they need to continue and invest in our community - as they already are with the 335 apprenticeships announced in December.
I’m glad that this announcement has come now, ahead of the general election. It shows the Conservative Government’s clear commitment to Successor.
With a ‘progressive alliance’ of the SNP, Plaid Cymru and Greens openly calling for Trident to be scrapped, it is important for people to know that the Conservative Government has made a clear choice to support the jobs and investment that Successor will bring. Ed Miliband is unable to make that same commitment as it is increasingly clear that he’ll need SNP votes to gain power.
Given that 1 in 10 local people work at the yard, a chaotic SNP-Labour coalition would be a real danger to Barrow’s future.
As Ed Miliband seems unable to make a decision on this crucial issue, the Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon, wrote to him yesterday asking the Labour leader to set out his position:
“Will you now end the speculation and confirm that a future Labour Government led by you will not enter into any kind of deal whatsoever with the SNP – on Trident, or any other issue?
If you do not, the British people will conclude that you are willing to sacrifice Britain’s national security just to get your hands on the keys to Number 10.”— Michael Fallon's letter to Ed Miliband, 11 March 2015
Ed Miliband needs to be clear on this. We simply can't afford the chaos of an Labour government which dances to the tune of the SNP and puts Barrow's future and our national security at risk.