London-West Midlands MP Preet Kaur Gill has welcomed the government’s latest figures showing that defence investment in the region has reached £1.7 billion over the past year, describing it as a major boost for local jobs, innovation, and economic growth.
The announcement follows the government’s publication of the ‘UK Defence Footprint’ report, which highlights that national defence spending with UK industry has increased by 6% above inflation in the first year of the current government. According to the data, this record level of investment is supporting around 7,900 jobs in the West Midlands, helping to drive regional growth and strengthen local manufacturing capabilities.
“This demonstrates how defence investment can serve as an engine for economic growth,” said Preet Kaur Gill. “Our region’s businesses and skilled workforce are playing a crucial role in making Britain safer while also creating new opportunities for prosperity.”
The report further notes that £270 per person was invested in the West Midlands last year, including £69 million directed to local Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)—a move expected to bolster the region’s thriving defence supply chain.
The government has described this as the largest increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War, part of a strategy to make the UK “safer in a more insecure world.”
The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS), released last month, outlines plans to strengthen national security while boosting the economy through job creation, skills development, and technological innovation. Alongside the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which sets out the framework for a stronger and safer Britain, the DIS aims to ensure that the UK’s defence industry is well-equipped and efficient in meeting future challenges.
Preet Kaur Gill emphasized that the West Midlands is well-positioned to benefit from this “defence dividend,” with local firms contributing to advanced defence manufacturing, engineering, and innovation that are critical to both national security and regional prosperity.