PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak has agreed to visit Barrow after being invited by the town’s MP.
Furness MP Simon Fell urged the PM to visit the shipyard to view progress on the next generation of nuclear submarines.
Barrow is building submarines as part of the AUKUS defence agreement with Australia.
Asking a question at Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Fell praised the work of the Barrovian workforce which contributes to what the MP called an ‘international endeavour’ to keep both the UK and Australia safe from potential aggressors.
Addressing the Prime Minister, Mr Fell said it was an ‘honour’ to welcome Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Barrow last week.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Fell said: “It was an honour to welcome the Australian Prime Minister to Barrow last week so that he could meet some of our fantastic apprentices, see the submarine programme and restate his commitment to the AUKUS pact that will bring thousands of jobs to Barrow & Furness.”
The MP went onto to say that the programme has now grown from a national endeavour for the UK, to one of international significance.
He said: “What was a national endeavour is now an international one and needs a whole of government approach to get it over the line, and deliver it well.
“Will the Prime Minister come to Barrow to see the programme for himself, and also to meet with me to see how we can best leverage the opportunities from this for the people of Barrow, for generations to come?”
Responding, the Prime Minister described Mr Fell as a ‘fantastic advocate for his local industry and community’.
“The SSN-AUKUS submarines will be built in Barrow, the home of the British submarine industry,” he said.
“It will create thousands of new jobs, not just in Barrow but across the UK.
“That’s why the Government is investing billions to modernise the enterprise and I look forward to taking him up on his invitation.”
Source: nwemail
