Keir Starmer on Trident
Posted: 21st March 2025
Vladimir Putin fears Britain’s nuclear weapons, Sir Keir Starmer has insisted. The Prime Minister said Trident had proved “incredibly effective” since its introduction in the 1990s, and that it continued to be a crucial deterrent, with the Russian president resisting Donald Trump’s efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine. Sir Keir has also been urged to offer Europe Britain’s nuclear protection, amid fears Mr Trump will scale back security guarantees for the continent. He focused on the effect Trident has on Moscow’s thinking ahead of a visit to Barrow on Thursday, where he will usher in the next generation of submarines to carry the missiles. “I think they appreciate our capability. What is obviously important is that they appreciate that it is what it is, which is a credible capability.”
Telegraph 20th March 2025
PM makes rare visit to nuclear-armed submarine to show UK’s strength – but Putin will notice a potential weakness. The prime minister boarded HMS Vanguard, one of the UK’s nuclear-armed submarines, which had been at sea more than 200 days, amid issues with maintaining an ageing fleet while upholding the “continuous at-sea deterrence”.
Sky News 20th March 2025
Submarine building and Jobs
Barrow-in-Furness is a “blueprint” for how increasing defence spending can boost prosperity across the UK, the Prime Minister has said ahead of a visit to the town at the heart of Britain’s submarine-building industry. Sir Keir Starmer will lay the keel for the next generation of Britain’s nuclear deterrent submarines when he visits the Cumbrian town on Thursday, as he argues his plans to boost defence spending will help fulfil his mission to grow the economy.
The Standard 20th March 2025