At Labour’s conference on Monday, Chancellor John Healey is set to outline a drive to boost British industry, including UK construction of three Royal Navy floating docks at Faslane; he is also expected to announce £115m for a marine research vessel.
The dock plans were first set out in 2023 and are part of a £15bn upgrade programme for Royal Navy shipyards. The docks are expected to enter service in the early 2030s, upgrading Faslane’s facilities for the next generation of British submarines; the research vessel is also expected to enter service then. A CBI survey due Monday is expected to highlight falling activity in retail and services over the three months to September, with manufacturing declining more moderately.
Healey is also due to announce plans to bring back the Union Learning Fund, with £15m from existing government budgets for training workers in England; workers do not have to be union members. Training ranges from basic English, maths and digital skills to preparation for growing industries such as advanced manufacturing. A month before his first Budget, he is not expected to reveal Budget details in the speech. Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith called the dock plans “reheated announcements” and questioned their funding; the GMB union said the move could reinvigorate UK shipyards and communities.
