Labour won't order new nuclear submarines for Royal Navy until 2028, Wes Streeting admits

Labour will not order any new nuclear-powered submarines until 2028 as concerns grow over delays to Britain's naval expansion plans. Sir Keir Starmer last year said Labour would decide how many submarines to commission by the time its Defence Investment Plan (DIP) was published.The report was released on June 30. But the Government has now postponed its commitment to buying submarines until 2028.In June 2025, Starmer announced that 'up to 12' of the new submarines would replace the Royal Navy's Astute-class attack submarines.The next-generation attack submarines are based on a British design with technological contributions from the US through the AUKUS agreement. The SSN-AUKUS vessels will feature a new Rolls-Royce PWR3-derived reactor with enhanced stealth, sensors and a vertical launch missile system. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting wrote to Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge: 'The DIP clearly sets out our intention to buy up to 12 SSN-A submarines, but a decision on exact hull numbers does not need to be taken at this stage.'The programme is currently midway through its design phase and we anticipate that the number of submarines will be confirmed before the end of this phase in 2028.' Sir Keir Starmer (pictured in April) last year said Labour would decide how many submarines to commission by the time its defence investment plan (DIP) was published Labour will not purchase new nuclear-powered submarines until 2028 as concerns grow over delays to Britain's naval expansion plans (pictured, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting)Streeting said a new submarine would be delivered every 18 months from the mid-2030s and insisted the delay would not affect when the vessels entered service. Cartlidge described the delay as 'a shambles' in a statement to The Telegraph. 'I could say I want to buy up to 12 Ferraris but if I don't have the money, I won't get any. The actual number of submarines was meant to be confirmed in the long-delayed DIP, but this was months late and left us none the wiser,' he said. 'Finally, Wes Streeting has had to admit Labour won't be able to tell us the answer until 2028. This is a shambles.'The UK's four Vanguard-class submarines - which serve a different role to the Astute class - are due to be replaced by four new Dreadnought-class submarines. The first of those submarines is expected to enter service in the 2030s.A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson told the Daily Mail: 'Our commitment to building up to 12 next-generation attack submarines, as set out in the Defence Investment Plan, is unchanged.'A decision on exact numbers does not need to be taken at this stage, with no impact on the delivery schedule.' Starmer and former defence secretary John Healey are pictured on a Vanguard submarine Prime Minister Andy Burnham during Prime Minister's Questions last weekIt comes after Labour was branded the 'Welfare Party' last week after Andy Burnham said he would never prioritise defence spending over benefits.In an extraordinary intervention, the Prime Minister said he was serious about national security, but it 'cannot come at the expense of social security'.Last week, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch laid out detailed plans to find £10billion to raise defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030. The package included £8billion of cuts to the welfare budget, half of it through reforms to the runaway housing benefit bill.Burnham refused to commit to the 3 per cent target, which his new Chancellor John Healey has warned is the minimum needed to keep Britain safe.'We do everything to support our national security, but it cannot come at the expense of social security,' he said. Defending his support for higher welfare spending, he said strong national security 'also depends on resilience in our communities'. Burnham said Labour would never be 'forced to choose between the two'.His comments appear to be at odds with remarks from Streeting, who said in June that 'there is no social justice without national security'.Britain has suffered an alarming slide down the Nato spending league table in recent years as other countries ramp up investment to meet growing threats. After being a top player for decades, the UK is now in 13th place in terms of defence spending as a percentage of GDP.Under Labour's plans, spending will nudge up from 2.6 per cent next year to 2.7 per cent by the end of the decade. By contrast, Germany expects to spend 3.5 per cent by 2030 while Poland is already spending 4.7 per cent.