No order until 2028

Labour will not order any new nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Navy until 2028, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has admitted.

The promise that slipped

Keir Starmer said last year that Labour would settle how many submarines to commission by the time the Defence Investment Plan was published.

The plan came out empty

The Defence Investment Plan was released on 30 June. It did not name a number, and the commitment to buy has now been pushed to 2028.

Up to 12, announced in 2025

In June 2025 Starmer announced that "up to 12" new submarines would replace the Royal Navy's Astute-class attack boats.

“up to 12”

British design, American help

The next-generation attack submarines use a British design with technological contributions from the US under the AUKUS agreement.

What SSN-AUKUS carries

The vessels get a Rolls-Royce PWR3-derived reactor, better stealth and sensors, plus a vertical launch missile system.

Streeting's letter

Writing to shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge, Streeting said the intention to buy up to 12 stands, but exact hull numbers can wait.

“a decision on exact hull numbers does not need to be taken at this stage”

Still in design phase

Streeting said the programme is midway through design, and the number will be confirmed before that phase ends in 2028.

“we anticipate that the number of submarines will be confirmed before the end of this phase in 2028”

One every 18 months

From the mid-2030s a new submarine would be delivered every 18 months, Streeting said, insisting the delay changes nothing about entry into service.

The Ferrari jibe

Cartlidge said wanting 12 of something means nothing without the money to pay for it, and called the whole thing a shambles.

“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 DIP told us nothing

Cartlidge said the actual number was meant to land in the Defence Investment Plan, which arrived months late and left the question open.

“this was months late and left us none the wiser”

The other four boats

The Navy's four Vanguard-class submarines do a different job and are being replaced by four Dreadnought-class vessels, the first due in the 2030s.

MoD holds the line

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the commitment to up to 12 attack submarines is unchanged and the delivery schedule is untouched.

“A decision on exact numbers does not need to be taken at this stage, with no impact on the delivery schedule”

Guns versus benefits

The row widened after Andy Burnham said he would never put defence spending ahead of benefits, earning Labour the "Welfare Party" label.

Security cannot cost social security

Burnham said he was serious about national security but would not let it eat the welfare budget, arguing resilient communities are part of defence.

“We do everything to support our national security, but it cannot come at the expense of social security”

Badenoch's £10billion plan

Kemi Badenoch set out £10billion to lift defence to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030, including £8billion of welfare cuts, half from housing benefit reform.

Three per cent, refused

Burnham would not commit to the 3 per cent target, even though his own Chancellor John Healey calls it the minimum needed to keep Britain safe.

A split in the cabinet

Streeting said in June that there is no social justice without national security, a line that sits awkwardly beside Burnham's refusal to choose.

“there is no social justice without national security”

Thirteenth in Nato

After decades near the top, Britain now ranks 13th in Nato for defence spending as a share of GDP while rivals build up.

2.7 against 4.7

Labour's plans nudge spending from 2.6 per cent next year to 2.7 by 2030. Germany expects 3.5 per cent, and Poland already spends 4.7.