A West Devon MP has hit out at the government’s major plans to upgrade the UK’s ability to fight an all-out war.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has set out the government’s defence strategy for the next ten years led by former defence secretary and NATO secretary Lord Robertson which covers new equipment and personnel.

The plans should boost the region’s economy with defence already providing thousands of jobs within Babcock and the Royal Navy at Devonport Naval Base and Royal Marines in Plymouth and near Taunton.

However, opponents are seeking assurances over where the funding will come from and what spending compromises will be made.

They also criticise the lack of commitment to a specific timespan on his promise to increase defence spending to three per cent of gross domestic product.

The PM confirmed the biggest contribution will be to the NATO alliance, move the armed forces main aim as being at ‘war-fighting readiness’ (rather than one of defence) and the benefit of generating economic growth through industrial investment and job creation.

Among the main ambitions are creating a hybrid Royal Navy using aircraft, drones, warships and new submarines, while the aircraft carriers will (for the first time in Europe) take drones jets an long-range weapons) a more high-tech army, new RAF fighters,12 new attack submarines and the renewal of the submarine-based Trident deterrent missiles.

The MOD will also create a new instant readiness reserve force, improved Armed Forces accommodation, increase Armed Forces cadets and a new cyber control centre. New long range-weapons and munitions factories will be built and a UK defence innovation organisation will be created.

But Rebecca Smith (Conservative MP for South West Devon) said: “Labour announced their Strategic Defence Review with no plan of how to fund it.

“The review's diagnosis is correct. We live in more dangerous times and must move to war-fighting readiness. I welcome the promise to double investment in autonomous systems which is good news for local defence companies such as Thales and Helsing. The reality, however, is that today’s announcement fails to meet the scale of the challenge we face.

“Despite being pressed time and again, Starmer refuses to say when he will spend three per cent of GDP on defence, calling it an 'ambition'. Goals without plans are just wishes.

“Just £10bn has been provided to fund the review – less than the Chagos Deal (involving a UK/US military base on the Chagos islands) he signed.

“The Conservative Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge summed it up in three words. - overdue, underfunded and underwhelming.

“As it stands, Labour's Defence Review amounts to a stalling tactic. Since Labour entered office the MoD have procured just three reconnaissance drones. While the defence budgets of other European countries have overtaken Britain, Labour ministers have lauded the defence review – is this it?

“Defence matters to my constituents. South West Devon has one of the finest military heritages in the nation. Within its boundaries are RM Bickleigh – home of 42 Commando – more than 2,000 Babcock employees and many more serving personnel. Labour have sold them short.”