Today’s defence news includes further reporting of the announcement by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson that £2.5 billion will be invested in the UK’s submarine construction projects.
Astute submarine investment
The Telegraph, Daily Express and Portsmouth News all report further on the announcement that £2.5 billion will be invested in new submarines, keeping Britain safe for generations to come.
Articles reflect that Mr Williamson visited BAE Systems in Barrow to announce the £1.5 billion contract to build the seventh Astute hunter-killer submarine, HMS Agincourt, and that he also announced £960 million of contracts to boost the second phase of construction for the Dreadnought submarines.
There is also reporting on the defence minister Guto Bebb’s visit to Rolls-Royce in Derby – where a £60 million contract has secured the future of hundreds of jobs – including by the Derby Telegraph and East Midlands Business Link.
Defence Minister Guto Bebb said:
The Dreadnought programme is a true national endeavour, furthering our world-class nuclear capability.
Today’s announcement includes a £60 million contract with Rolls-Royce, supporting over 700 jobs here in Derby as the factory continues to make the reactors that will power our state-of-the-art Dreadnought submarines into the 2060s.
Leigh Day
The Times, Daily Mail and The Telegraph follow up on a story in yesterday’s Sun about a large quantity of claims being brought against British soldiers for alleged mistreatment.
Coverage includes the fact that, despite the fact Leigh Day is preparing 450 cases, the firm itself is facing a claim that it was wrongly cleared of misconduct in hundreds of previous allegations. The Times reports that three members of its staff have been accused of professional misconduct, including making false claims of murder and torture by British troops in Iraq.
An MOD spokesperson said:
Leigh Day brought claims on an industrial scale and have been ordered by the High Court to confirm how many cases they will take forward.
While valid claims should always be compensated, false or exaggerated allegations make it harder for justice to be served. Defending false claims comes with a high human and financial cost, so we urge Leigh Day to ensure only genuine cases are pursued.
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