New UK weapons factories to be built 'very soon', Defence Secretary John Healey reveals

Last night, the government announced at least six new arms plants as part of a £6bn push to rearm at a time of growing threats. 

No details on timings or where the factories would be were provided ahead of the publication of the government's strategic defence review, which the £6bn investment will be part of, on Monday.

But Defence Secretary John Healey told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: "We should expect to see new factories opening very soon.

"And we've already got strong munitions factories in every part of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

"The investment we're making will boost the jobs in those areas as well."

Asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin should be "frightened now" or in the future, Mr Healey said: "The message to Putin is we take our defence seriously, we're stepping up our deterrents."

The government also announced it would buy up to 7,000 long-range missiles, rockets and drones as part of the £6bn rearmament strategy.

Mr Healey said he has "no doubt" defence spending will hit 3% of GDP in the next parliament.

He defended not trying to get to that in this parliament - by 2029 - and said: "It's how much [is spent on defence], but also how you spend it."

The defence secretary said his government is showing a sense of urgency by investing £1bn into cyber warfare capabilities, £1.5bn to improve forces' housing over the next five years and a £6bn commitment to "rearm" over the next five years.

John Healey says the "transformation" of Britain's armed forces and the industrial base needed to keep them supplied with weapons to be set out in tomorrow's strategic defence review will be affordable within the government's existing defence spending plans.

That's a timetable which will see 2.3% of GDP increase to 2.5% by 2027, with an "ambition" to ratchet up to 3% in the next parliament, if economic circumstances allow.

Mr Healey's repeated assertion this weekend that he has "no doubt" the UK will be spending 3% within the next parliament clearly puts pressure on the Treasury to stump up the cash.

Today, he was at pains to clarify that this optimism is based on his confidence in the chancellor and growth returning to the UK economy.

But even translating this ambition into a concrete commitment would only see 3% by 2034 – in nine years. There's an obvious tension between this leisurely timescale and the sabre-rattling urgency of the government's messaging.

Writing in the Sun on Sunday, the prime minister promised to "restore Britain's war fighting readiness", warning "we are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces".

Mr Healey told Sir Trevor Phillips the idea is to send a message to Vladimir Putin that "we take our defence seriously".

But he also couldn't give an exact date when the six new munitions factories would be up and running.

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are both calling for 3% to be reached within this parliament. But in a landscape of planned spending cuts – and with so many competing demands for money – finding any extra cash any time soon looks highly unlikely.

Senior Conservative Robert Jenrick told Trevor Phillips he welcomed "any extra investment in defence" and the fact Labour had reaffirmed the UK's commitment to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence.

However, he said: "We want to see the UK reach 3% within this parliament, we think that 2034 is a long time to wait, given the gravity of the situation."

He called Mr Healey "a good man" who is "doing what needs to be done in the national interest".

But he added: "I am sceptical as to whether Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is going to make good on these promises.

"Since the general election, all I can see are broken promises from Rachel Reeves."

-SKY NEWS