Barrow to receive 'Royal' status as PM and King visits announced

The Prime Minister will announce that Barrow will be given a 'Royal' title while on a visit to the town.

Sir Keir Starmer will announce that His Majesty King Charles III will confer the ‘Royal’ title to the Port of Barrow in recognition of the town’s "unique and critical contribution to national security" as the home of nuclear submarine building in the UK.

This will come as Sir Keir visits Barrow later today to lay the keel of the next generation Dreadnought submarine, the next generation of the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

The King also hopes to visit the town in due course.

Earlier this week, Sir Keir Starmer joined Vanguard Class submarine crew returning home from nuclear deterrent patrol to thank them for their silent service.

The Prime Minister boarded the boat as it returned to UK waters, known as ‘a Day Zero’, to thank submariners for their months of silent service deep under water. He is the first Prime Minister to join a Day Zero since 2013.

He also boarded the boat as it returned to UK waters, known as ‘a Day Zero’, to thank submariners for their months of silent service deep under water. Sir Keir is the first Prime Minister to join a Day Zero since 2013.

The Prime Minister also met families waiting for their relatives to return from sea, many of which had experienced significant life milestones while their loved ones were on deployment, including four submariners who returned home to newborn children.

The government has also announced a new £28m funding package set to benefit Furness College in Barrow to support submarine builders of the future.

Since 1969, the nuclear deterrent has been the cornerstone of UK security and continuously delivered by the Royal Navy - with at least one nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine patrolling the seas undetected at all times. 

The keel for the first nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine was laid in Barrow in 1959, before its launch in 1960. Two years later, the UK declared its nuclear capability to NATO.

The government said the Dreadnought will "protect our people and allies from the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life for decades to come".

They said it is also expected to support more than 30,000 jobs across the country, from the heart of BAE Systems in Barrow, to small and medium enterprises up and down the country. 

Barrow will also play a vital role in delivering the AUKUS programme – a joint endeavour between Australia, the United States and the UK - with the first SSN-AUKUS attack submarines being built at the BAE Systems site.

Last month, the Prime Minister (below) announced that this government will increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP from 2027, with an ambition to reach 3 per cent in the next parliament.

That will equate to an extra £13.4bn on defence.

The Barrow submarine workforce alone has grown by more than 1000 people in the past six months, with those working in the defence nuclear sector earning approximately 20% above the national average wage.

"When I say that our Plan for Change is delivering security for working people and renewal for our country, there is no better blueprint than Barrow," said Sir Keir Starmer.

"Defence spending here is supporting highly skilled jobs, driving opportunities for young people and delivering world class capabilities to keep us all safe, but it’s also crucially putting money in the pockets of hardworking people.

"This week, I saw firsthand the sacrifice our submariners are making every day to keep our country safe, but I know they are only able to do that because of the support of the town of Barrow.

"Each and every person living and working in Barrow is contributing to our nation’s defence, whether that is building our world-class submarine programme, or supporting the workforce here through vital public services or proud family businesses."

New funding will also be announced by the PM, including the £28m package for T-Levels, delivered by providers across England including Furness College in Barrow.

The funding will help to equip and inspire students to be the next generation of submarine builders, with industry-relevant skills and knowledge, and leading to skilled employment, apprenticeships, or higher education both in the defence sector and beyond.

This is on top of the Barrow Transformation Fund, a £200m government package to strengthen the local economy, support sustainable growth and boost opportunities for the people of Barrow.

As part of that fund, a £5m pot to invest in schools to boost aspiration and support the needs of the young people of Barrow will also be opened.