As a member of the UK Defence Committee, I was proud to publish our landmark report into AUKUS this week.
AUKUS is the trilateral defence and security pact with Australia and the US which is so important to the economy of our area.
Our report, over two years in the making, sets out the importance of the AUKUS partnership for the UK’s defence and security as well as our standing on the international stage.
It’s an inquiry I asked for, to ensure all the opportunities and possible hurdles could be seen ahead of time.
As a country we must get this right.
Our report highlights the challenges inherent in such long‑term programmes. Sustaining pace and focus will depend on high‑profile engagement from the heads of all three countries involved. This is more than just another defence project.
Clearly a major part of the equation is providing the support and investment needed to properly fix the problems facing our communities in Barrow after over a decade of neglect and underinvestment.
Our prime minister has backed AUKUS from the beginning and named Barrow as a blueprint for the rest of the country in ambitions to properly regenerate the town. He has visited Barrow twice, delivered additional investment, and has written to every cabinet minister to say that Barrow and Furness must be prioritised in Government decision making.
Our report is very clear about the progress that this government has made with the establishment of Team Barrow and £220m of initial investment.
No other community in the UK is being tasked with what we are being asked to achieve.
And no other community can hope to enjoy the huge economic benefits of those undertakings.
No other community can boast 50 years of well-paid jobs.
But this report has delivered a reality check on the scale of the challenges we face and the need for even more funding to provide the necessary improvements in housing, healthcare, town regeneration, transport and education.
That’s a message I’ve been sending to government from day one, and I’ll never stop making the case for Barrow and Furness on the national stage.
We’ve already had positive progress after a meeting with health secretary Wes Streeting and an additional £22m a year for our hospital trust, and £7m funding for the Alfred Barrow Neighbourhood Health Centre. We’re taking forward positive work with Lord Hendy on upgrades to the Cumbrian Coast Railway Line. And last week we saw the announcement that Furness College is to become one of 5 national Defence Technical Excellence colleges.
From the start of this inquiry, I’ve been clear that the report must include the views and experiences of residents.
As part of that commitment, I brought members of the defence committee on a two-day visit to Barrow to give them a first-hand view of the challenges here.
I’m proud that this report reflects those views and that they will be heard at the very top of government.
My message, and the message of the entire defence committee, is very clear: the regeneration of Barrow is too important to fail.
I know that’s a message that ministers understand and will respond to.
Here in Barrow and across our communities we must respond to these challenges.
Business as usual is not an option if we are to succeed.
We all need to hit the accelerator harder than we presently are.