Speech

PM's remarks on the Strategic Defence Review: 2 June 2025

PM鈥檚 remarks on the Strategic Defence Review.

Good morning to all of you, thank you for being here this morning 鈥

Thank you for sharing the work that you are doing here, some of which we can see right behind us.

Because this is a legendary Govan shipyard.

And it鈥檚 really good to be able to be here in this massive space, and to be back on the Clyde.

As you may have seen a couple of months ago 鈥

Just after dawn, on a drizzly morning 鈥

If you can believe it 鈥撀

I took a boat out onto the firth,

To meet one of our vanguard-class submarines鈥

As it came back in off patrol.

And it was a record-breaking patrol.

And we boarded the sub. It had just surfaced. It had been at sea鈥

Maintaining our continuous-at-sea deterrent鈥

For months on end 鈥

A really long shift 鈥

And met what was quite a remarkable crew.

And I will remember that day for the rest of my life.

Because it was very clear to me that there is no greater duty than the one that they carry 鈥

No task more vital.

Our security鈥

NATO鈥檚 security鈥

Depends on them.

And I had the privilege of being shown around and talked to many teams on the sub鈥

Saw them rushing to their battle stations to conduct a firing drill鈥

And wherever I went on the sub, whichever team I was talking to鈥

From the engineers, the cooks, the navigators 鈥

Over and over again 鈥

There was a sort of unofficial motto that they told me 鈥 their motto:聽

鈥淣othing works unless we all work together.鈥

And in this moment of danger and threat for our country 鈥撀

That is the spirit we need.聽

The Strategic Defence Review that I am launching today鈥β

Will bring that unity of purpose to the聽whole聽of the United Kingdom鈥

To mobilise the nation in a common cause鈥

Recognising, in these dangerous times,

That when it comes to the defence of the realm鈥

And the defence of everything we hold dear鈥

Nothing works unless we all work together.

From every man and woman serving in uniform,

To the workers building the next generation of subs in Barrow鈥

From the brilliant workers and apprentices right here in Govan鈥

Building the new Type 26 frigates 鈥 like the two you can see being built behind me today鈥β

To our tech experts, our scientists, our engineers 鈥

Who are pioneering battlefield innovations and cyber defences 鈥撀

Every part of society鈥

Every citizen of this country鈥

Has a role to play.

Because we have to recognise that things have changed.聽

In the world of today 鈥

The front line, if you like, is聽here.

The threat we now face is more serious, more immediate and more unpredictable鈥

Than at any time since the Cold War.

We face war in Europe, new nuclear risks, daily cyber attacks鈥

Growing Russian aggression in our waters鈥β

Menacing our skies鈥

Their reckless actions driving up the cost of living here at home鈥

Creating economic pain鈥

And hitting working people the hardest.

A new era in the threats we face,

Demands a new era for defence and security鈥

Not just to survive in this new world 鈥

But to lead.聽

We will never gamble with our national security.聽

Instead, we will act 鈥撀

In the national interest.聽

And that鈥檚 why I placed national security鈥

At the heart of our Plan for Change鈥

That鈥檚 why I launched this Strategic Defence Review鈥

Within days of becoming Prime Minster.

And now it has delivered.聽

And I want to thank the reviewers 鈥撀

Especially Lord Robertson who is with us today.

Thank you so much for your work and the work of the other reviewers.

What you have delivered is a blueprint to make Britain safer and stronger:

A battle-ready, armour-clad nation鈥

With the strongest alliances鈥

And the most advanced capabilities 鈥

Equipped for the decades to come.聽

And we have already acted 鈥撀

Announcing the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War.

Raising it to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 鈥

Setting the ambition to hit 3% in the next Parliament鈥

Subject to economic and fiscal conditions.聽

And today 鈥 following through on this review 鈥撀

I want to set out three fundamental changes that we鈥檙e going to deliver.聽

First, we are moving to warfighting readiness 鈥撀

As the central purpose of our armed forces.聽

When we are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces鈥

The most effective way to deter them is to be ready 鈥

And, frankly, to show them that we鈥檙e ready 鈥

To deliver peace through strength.

Now Britain has the finest service men and women in the world.

We鈥檙e showing them the respect that they deserve

By delivering the biggest Armed Forces pay rise in 20 years,

And by pledging, today, that we will end the hollowing out of our Armed Forces.

We鈥檒l build a fighting force that is more integrated, more ready, more lethal than ever 鈥撀

Backed by a stronger Strategic Reserve 鈥 fully trained and ready to mobilise at any time.

Second, everything we do will add to the strength of NATO,

As we step up to take greater responsibility for our collective defence.

The NATO alliance means something profound:

That we will never fight alone.

It is a fundamental source of our strategic strength.聽

That鈥檚 why our defence policy will always be 鈥淣ATO first.鈥

Something that is written through this review.

The transformation we are driving in our defence must add up to鈥

Britain鈥檚 biggest contribution to NATO since its creation.

So that when we are building new capabilities at home 鈥

We are making our allies safer too 鈥撀

Strengthening Europe 鈥撀

And strengthening our bridge to the US,聽

As Britain鈥檚 first partner in defence.

Third, we will innovate and accelerate innovation to a wartime pace鈥

So we can meet the threats of today and tomorrow鈥

As the fastest innovator in NATO.聽

Now this doesn鈥檛 mean replacing people or hardware 鈥

Quite the opposite 鈥撀

It means learning the lessons of Ukraine, which I have discussed many times with President Zelenskyy鈥

To ensure every capability we have works seamlessly together 鈥撀

Drones, destroyers, AI, aircraft鈥

Each different branch of our armed services鈥

Fully integrated鈥

To create an Army which is ten times more lethal by 2035.

And in delivering all of this 鈥撀

We are more ambitious than ever for the change it can bring.聽

To deliver鈥β

Not just security for our country 鈥

But renewal too.

After the Cold War, many nations cut defence spending,聽

Freeing up public funds鈥

Creating what was called a 鈥減eace dividend鈥澛

Which people felt in their public services and the quality of their lives.

Faced with new circumstances today 鈥撀

We must deliver for working people again 鈥撀

To seize, now,

A 鈥渄efence dividend鈥 for the British people鈥

Using this moment to drive jobs and investment鈥

Throughout the country 鈥撀

Like here in Govan鈥

Providing local opportunities, skilled work 鈥 community pride.

Ensuring that everyone across the United Kingdom has a role to play in this effort, yes 鈥撀

But, also, that everyone has a stake in its success.

And 鈥 I want to spell this out very simply鈥

To achieve this鈥

We鈥檙e going to build.

We鈥檙e going to use this investment 鈥撀

And this once-in-a-generation reform鈥

To drive renewal up and down the nation鈥

Creating new jobs鈥β

Creating skills and opportunity鈥

Driving huge growth in industrial capacity.

Let me give just one or two examples.

I can announce today鈥

That we are going to build at least six new munitions factories in the United Kingdom 鈥撀

Generating over 1,000 jobs.

We will build thousands of new long-range weapons in the United Kingdom鈥

To boost European deterrence鈥

Supporting around 800 more jobs.

We will defend our homeland鈥

By investing in our air and missile defence 鈥撀

To better protect these islands.

We will create a hybrid Royal Navy鈥

Blending drones with warships, submarines, and aircraft to patrol the North Atlantic and beyond 鈥撀

Supporting thousands of brilliant shipbuilding jobs 鈥撀

Including right here in Govan.

Under our Aukus alliance with the US and Australia鈥

We will now deliver up to 12 attack submarines 鈥撀

Protecting Britain鈥檚 waters鈥

Scaling up the industrial base in Barrow 鈥撀

And all along the supply chain鈥

To deliver a new sub every 18 months 鈥撀犅

Again, creating thousands of jobs.

We will also invest in world-leading drone capabilities and battlefield technology鈥

In better kit for our warriors abroad鈥

And better housing for them and their families at home.

And 鈥 finally鈥

I can confirm today that we are investing 拢15 billion鈥

In our sovereign warhead programme鈥

To secure our deterrent for decades to come 鈥撀

Creating 9,000 jobs鈥

And thousands more in the supply chain across the country,

Part of the historic renewal of our nuclear deterrent 鈥撀

As the ultimate guarantor of our safety and our security.

The moment has arrived 鈥

To transform how we defend ourselves鈥β犅

And to renew our nation 鈥撀

An investment in British pride and the British people鈥

A defence dividend 鈥撀

That will be felt in the pockets of working people鈥

And the prosperity of the country鈥

Securing growth for generations to come鈥

Part of a new contract to unite the Kingdom鈥

A new spirit of service, flowing from every part of society 鈥撀

From the supply lines to the front lines 鈥撀

Everyone benefitting, everyone playing their role 鈥撀

Doing their duty to the nation and to each other 鈥撀

To preserve our way of life 鈥撀

And the things that we hold dear鈥

Because when it comes to security and renewal:

Nothing works unless we all work together.聽

Thank you very much indeed.

Updates to this page

Published 2 June 2025