Barrow has been praised by the Defence Secretary for its role in delivering a new
generation of submarines, which he said could be the future of the Royal Navy.
Writing for the Telegraph today, Ben Wallace said: “Our adversaries cannot replicate the
skills we have in Barrow or the expertise of our submariners and they may well be the
deciding factor in a future conflict.

”The announcement follows Mr Fell questioning the Defence Secretary in the House of Commons earlier this year.

The Furness MP asked for the Secretary of State’s view on the submarine programme.
Responding, Mr Wallace lent praise for those working in the shipyard to deliver the
programme, which Simon Fell described as ‘fulsome’.

At the time, the Secretary of State said: “In Barrow, they are doing some of the most complex engineering on earth, and it is breath-taking and a huge achievement”.

“Not only are we rolling out the Dreadnought class but we have committed funding for
the next stage of the attack submarine, the next generation of Astutes”.

“It is a vital part of our subsea defence and I am delighted that the Australians, when
they chose to switch from the French submarine, came to the United States and the
United Kingdom as future partners in that programme, because very few places in the
world can do it. One of those places is Barrow”.

Commenting, Simon said: “This new review bodes well for Barrow and the future of the shipyard. With Astute and Dreadnought in production, SSNR underway, and the promise of AUKUS offering jobs and skills in the community for generations to come, this is a welcome statement of faith in the incredible work being done in our community on behalf of the UK and our allies across the world.”

“Today’s claim from Ben Wallace is a clear vote of confidence in the workforce, skills
and supply chain that have been developed over decades in Barrow, and will ensure the
UK continues to be a world leader in nuclear submarine design.”

The article comes hot on the heels of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit to BAE
Systems in Barrow earlier this week to Commission HMS Anson, the latest Astute class
submarine to roll off the production line.

Speaking today Simon added: “This week has, yet again, demonstrated that only the
Conservatives in Government can be trusted to deliver our commitment to keep both
our NATO allies and our country safe.

“Not only that but the Government’s cast iron commitment to our submarine
programme is a further vote of confidence in Barrow, the workforce and the wider
supply chain which employs thousands of people in well paid skilled jobs”.