Ukraine

Zubir Ahmed Excerpts

Monday 1st September 2025 Commons Chamber

[John Healey]

The Government’s position is that we are discussing the nature of security guarantees and the contribution that we can help lead through the coalition of the willing, alongside any American support, and together that is part of the configuration of making Ukraine strong and creating the circumstances in which serious negotiations, and we hope a peace agreement, can be reached.

[Dr Zubir Ahmed (Glasgow South West) (Lab)]

I warmly thank my right hon. Friend for getting this Norwegian deal over the line. I feel a singular sense of pride about it, because my constituency of Glasgow South West and Govan will become the epicentre of Type 26 construction. Will he undertake to work with me to ensure that my constituents feel the full benefits of this investment? In that vein, will he urge the SNP Government to finally collaborate with us and to dispense with their ideological block on the defence sector, so that together, for want of a better word, we can be stronger for Scotland?

[John Healey]

First, may I say to my hon. Friend that all of us in the House appreciate the contribution that his constituents, as part of that Govan workforce, make to building the outstanding British ships? The Norwegian Prime Minister had a telling way of explaining the decision on Sunday, when he said that they had weighed two questions:

“Who is our most strategic partner? And who has delivered the best frigates?... The answer to both is the United Kingdom.”

It is also telling that the nationalist-led Scottish Government are yet to welcome this contract and this success.