HEALEY TO PLEDGE BILLIONS FOR BRITISH SHIPBUILDING PROJECTS

Chancellor John Healey will announce a multi-billion pound investment in three major maritime projects during his first speech to the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, according to LabourList. The funding includes three new floating docks for the Royal Navy's submarine base at HM Naval Base Clyde, under a scheme known as Programme Euston, which will be delivered through a UK-only competition. Healey said the investment would back British jobs on the Clyde and businesses across the UK, supporting growth "in every postcode." He is also expected to confirm at least £115 million for a new marine research vessel, due to become operational in the early 2030s, which will replace the current vessel as it nears the end of its working life.

The floating docks are intended to provide maintenance for the UK's current and future fleet of nuclear submarines, allowing inspections, upgrades and repairs to take place, LabourList reported. Healey is expected to draw on his own background in his address, saying his politics were shaped by the industrial heartlands of South Yorkshire, and pointing to the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, built on the site of the former Orgreave pit, as an example of how Britain's industrial past is "being remade" for the modern world. He described the announcement as marking a "new age of industrialisation" and "a new confidence in Britain."

Healey said the investment in shipbuilding was designed to strengthen national security while securing resilience in industries that would drive economic growth, according to the report. The Chancellor framed the spending as protecting what he called Britain's "proud shipbuilding heritage." The new marine research vessel is intended to support continued research on the seas and oceans surrounding the UK. Further details of the announcements are expected as Healey delivers his address to conference delegates later today, LabourList reported.