The Defence Secretary has announced a commitment to favour British companies in defence spending, describing the approach as “unashamedly pro-Britain.” This is excellent news for the defence industry, assuming British firms can first demonstrate competence at something other than apologising for things that happened centuries ago.
The logic is straightforward: why buy from foreign defence contractors when you can buy from companies that have spent the last decade proving they cannot manufacture a functioning supply chain without a 47-page instruction manual and three missing bolts? British engineering built the Empire. British engineering in 2026 built a sofa that collapses if you breathe near it too hard.
What makes this policy particularly bold is the implicit confidence that the same firms struggling to deliver office furniture on time will somehow manage to produce working military equipment. The same companies that require a PhD in Swedish to assemble a bookshelf will now be trusted with procurement contracts worth hundreds of millions. One assumes the defence specifications will include a QR code linking to a YouTube tutorial.
The announcement comes as British manufacturing continues its steady march toward becoming a heritage experience — something tourists visit to see how things used to be made before everything got cheaper in Asia. Supporting local industry is admirable. Supporting local industry that has spent the last two decades optimising for cost-cutting rather than quality is something else entirely.
At least the Defence Secretary is being honest about the motivation. It’s not about capability. It’s about nationalism wearing a hi-vis jacket.