Shipyards and shipbuilding are iconic cultural symbols of the UK’s industrial heritage – from the Belfast poetry of Carnduff, the folk songs of England from the North East to South West, to the words of Donald Dewar evoking the “The shout of the welder in the din of the great Clyde shipyards” at the opening session of the Scottish Parliament.
Our shipyards are proudly sewn into the fabric of the economic and social history of these islands, which is why local communities often feel such a keen sense of loss when a shipyard closes, as many did in the course of the last century.
The danger of that happening to the Methil yard in my constituency last year was very real. Within days of Labour taking the helm of office, Harland and Wolff – which was hailed as the saviour of the yard after the collapse of BiFab in 2021 – was itself in dire financial difficulties.
Methil’s future was at stake as were the other three Harland and Wolff yards, in Belfast, Appledore and Arnish. MPs, trade unions and workers – some of whom had worked in the yards since before I was even born – fought relentlessly to save them.
That commitment paid off. It was no easy process to secure a deal for Navantia UK to take on all four yards, but the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, the Secretary of State for Scotland, and the Minister for Industry went to great lengths to ensure success.
Let me be clear, saving these yards is not an act of charity to the workers. Shipyards are essential to our economic growth.
In 2024, the economic output of UK shipyards was £2.7 billion. Between 2019 and 2024, the economic output of this sector increased by 72% at a time when the overall value of the manufacturing sector declined by 2.4%.
And they can achieve so much more. The National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh has set out plans to deliver a pipeline of more than 150 new naval and civil vessels for the UK Government and Devolved Administrations over the next 30 years. Ports are also one of the five key sectors earmarked for £5.8 billion of investment through the National Wealth Fund.
As the budget for defence spending increases to enable the UK to fulfil our responsibilities to Ukraine and elsewhere, it is our shipyard workers who will be crucial in developing our new defence capabilities, including over 350 skilled workers from my constituency who work at Babcock in Rosyth.
But it is not only in defence that our shipyards have a key role to play, but in renewables too, which is why it was right Labour’s Green Prosperity Plan highlights ports in growing our renewables sector. Navantia’s plan for Methil is that it will become a centre of excellence for offshore wind manufacturing in the UK through Navantia Seanergies, their specialist renewable energy division.
The transition towards low-emission ships and sustainable materials also presents opportunities for innovation and leadership in environmentally friendly maritime technology. Green shipbuilding can be incentivised through Government procurement, and with the scale of procurement in shipbuilding there is also a role for government to encourage collaboration between naval shipbuilders rather than running competitive tenders for each project.
Most of all, the great potential for growth in shipbuilding and fabrication in this country can only be achieved by investing in skills. Today we have an ageing workforce in our shipyards, but the prospects today for young people joining the industry are bright, making it all the more important we recruit and train young people in the skills our shipyards need.
A particular highlight for me recently was watching young apprentice draughtsman, Neil Cafferkey, tell the Prime Minister what it meant to him to be able to keep his job at Methil. Neil is one of 51 apprentices at Methil, one among thousands in shipyards across the country.
The actions taken by Ministers early in this Government show that they understand the importance of our shipyards in growing our economy, and if we seize all the fantastic opportunities there are to grow our shipyards and increase the size of the brilliant, highly skilled workforces they employ, the story of shipyards in this country is not only one of a proud history but a vibrant future as well.
Labour will ensure the story of our shipyards is not only about a proud history but a vibrant future
