Labour is the 'party of national security' in new Trident pledge, says Keir Starmer

My uncle served in the Falklands on HMS Antelope.

I remember the terrible wait when his ship was bombed, the relief when we found out he’d survived.

So the security and defence of our nation is personal to me.

I know the sacrifices that so many people have made.

I know the courage and the service that’s necessary for us to be able to sleep soundly at night.

And I have deep respect for those who keep our country safe in so many different ways.

For this changed Labour party, nothing is more important than our national security.

With increasingly aggressive dictators like Putin and other malign actors using hybrid threats like energy supply as a tool to attack us, the people of Britain need to know that their leaders will keep them safe.

My Labour Party has serious solutions to serious issues.

We are totally committed to the security of our nation, to our armed forces and, importantly, to our nuclear deterrent.

I visited BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness just a few weeks ago.

I was the first Labour leader to visit in 30 years to see the nuclear submarines being made.

My commitment to maintaining our nuclear deterrent is total. We recognise that it is the bedrock of our plan to keep Britain safe.

That’s why Labour has announced a new triple-lock commitment to our nuclear deterrent.

We are guaranteeing that with a Labour government, we will build four new nuclear submarines, like the ones I saw in Barrow.

That won’t just keep us safe – it’ll support good jobs and growth across the UK.

We’ll maintain Britain’s Continuous at Sea deterrent 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

And we’ll deliver all future upgrades needed for those submarines to keep patrolling the waters and keep us safe.

That’s not all.

We want to make sure our Armed Forces are fit to fight. So we’re also committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence as soon as possible.

Because we know our security isn’t just vital for our safety today. It’s absolutely central to our success for the future.

Working with our strategic allies on the world stage, makes us stronger and better off here at home.

And national security is central to Labour’s plan for higher growth, safer streets, cheaper bills, the NHS back on its feet, secure borders and better opportunities for your children.

That’s the change on offer at this election.

No more gimmicks. No more broken promises. No more putting politics and party ahead of stability and security.

Labour will always put country first, party second. We will serve working people across the nation.