Labour’s ‘support for nuclear weapons and commitment to Nato’

Labour would keep nuclear weapons and support Nato if elected, the shadow defence secretary has said.

John Healey said retaining Britain’s nuclear deterrent is “nonnegotiable” and Labour’s support for the Western alliance of Nato “unshakeable”, in the first major national security policy speech by the party since the last general election.

Both have been longstanding Labour policies in successive party manifestos but were sometimes at odds with former leader Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters.

Speaking to the Royal United Services Institute think tank, Mr Healey said: “First, Labour’s commitment to Nato is unshakeable.

“Second, Labour’s support for the UK’s nuclear deterrent is nonnegotiable and we want to see Britain doing more to secure multilateral disarmament.

“Third, Labour’s commitment to international law and the UN, to universal human rights and to the multilateral treaties and organisations that uphold them is unshakable.

“And fourth, Labour’s determination to see British investment directed first to British industry is fundamental; not just to our thinking on defence, but on the kind of society we want to build.”

A new solar panel installation at Dundee Science Centre will generate enough renewable energy to power the entire facility.

The 40 kilowatt solar panel installation is the latest investment made as part of a £2 million refurbishment.

The work to make the centre carbon neutral was carried out by Forfarbased Alliance Electrical at around £40,000.

Alliance Electrical managing director Errol Lawrie said: “Our team have loved working on this project and to be involved in the ambitious redevelopment of such a popular local visitor attraction is exciting.

“We have delivered several similar large-scale solar panel installs and it is great to support our customers in their efforts to reduce the environmental impact of their businesses.

“There have been a lot of larger renewables contracts around the east coast and our team are proud to have established ourselves as the go-to business to deliver these.’’

In addition to the solar panel installation Alliance also completed electrical works to install new LED display lighting as part of the contract.

Due to current Covid restrictions, Dundee Science Centre remains closed to visitors. In May Dundee shopfitting firm Bentleys was announced as the main contractor on the refurbishment.