The next Labour Government will recycle the old nuclear submarines tied up alongside in Devonport.

That was the message from Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, John Healey, in the Herald this week after his visit to Devonport.

As Devonport’s MP I’ve led calls since being elected in 2017 to recycle the 13 old Royal Navy nuclear submarines in 3 basin. Some have been there for my entire lifetime. I’ve pressed Prime Ministers and even introduced my own Private Members Bill to get this on the agenda. Last week John Healey MP, Fred Thomas, Labour’s candidate in Plymouth Moor View, and I visited these old subs to see them for ourselves.

I’m pleased Labour will be going into the General Election with a commitment to recycle these old subs safely helping return this basin to more productive use and dealing with a problem the current government is largely ignoring.

Labour backs the nuclear deterrent but as a serious nuclear nation we must have an equally serious plan for dealing with our nuclear legacy in these out of service rusting old boats in the submarine graveyard.

The Tories could have done this at any time, but it looks like it will be left to Labour, should we get in, to take the steps that are needed to get all of Britain’s old nuclear submarines recycled.