UK defence companies are leaving for Donald Trump’s big-spending US, industry insiders warn, which could have damaging consequences for national security.
Government officials have repeatedly emphasised the need to build up the domestic defence industry to ensure the UK is not reliant on foreign suppliers in case of conflict – plans that now appear in jeopardy.
Defence Secretary John Healey said in a speech this week that the war in Ukraine showed “that when a country is under threat or forced to fight, its armed forces are only as strong as the industry that stands behind it”.
But industry figures say increasing numbers of British small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are being tempted to the US because of its larger, flourishing market compared to uncertainty and red tape in the UK.
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