Labour pushes ‘military Keynesianism’ to win support for defence spending

Government argues investment creates skilled jobs, but others say spending elsewhere would have more impact

• Defence review to say UK must prepare to fight war in Europe or Atlantic

Labour's push towards increased militarisation, with Keir Starmer already having slashed the aid budget in favour of defence spending, may not be a policy greeted enthusiastically by many of the party's core supporters.

But the government wants to win support for the change in thinking by arguing that investment in defence helps create skilled jobs, particularly outside London, such as at shipyards in Barrow, Devonport, Glasgow and Rosyth.