Submarine Service 125th Anniversary

Chris Vince Excerpts

Tuesday 10th November 2026 Westminster Hall

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

It is always an honour to serve under your chairship, Sir Roger. I thank, in all sincerity, the hon. Member for Dumfries and Galloway (John Cooper) for securing this really important debate. It is a pleasure and an honour to speak in it and to celebrate with everyone here the 125th anniversary of our submarine service.

I will let you into a secret, Sir Roger. When I was at school, we were tasked in our French lessons to say what we wanted to be when we were older. I remember exactly what I said but I cannot promise that the French is correct. I said: “Je voudrais être un capitaine de sous-marin.” I hope that there is nobody here who actually speaks French, because they will probably tell me that is completely incorrect. Then I looked more into what being the captain of a submarine would entail and I had second thoughts. I genuinely want to echo some of what was said earlier about the huge sacrifice and commitment that our submariners make to keep this country safe. I will add that I, too, get seasick.

Many hon. and right hon. Members will be asking what the Harlow connection is to our submarine service. I am honoured that the UK headquarters of Raytheon and its technology centre of excellence are in my constituency. Many hon. Members will be aware that Raytheon is involved in the development and production of both weapons systems and navigation systems for our submarine fleet. It is also responsible for the Barracuda mine-neutralisation system—and development of the software behind it—which helps to keep UK and allied waters safe. I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to all those who work in that vital area and keep us safe.

If you will allow me, Sir Roger, I also want to pay tribute to Harlow Sea Cadets. I was incredibly proud to see them alongside our Air Cadets and Army Cadets at our remembrance service on Sunday. They are a credit to our town, and I thank the volunteers who give up their time to ensure that that vital cadet service runs.

I wanted to find a story about a submarine from our past, because I think that telling stories about the brave endeavours of our submariners is important in a debate such as this. I looked through a few examples, and I came across that of HMS Triumph, which Members may be aware struck a mine on Boxing day in 1939. The explosion was so powerful that it temporarily blinded the men who were on the bridge of the submarine. The mine caused catastrophic damage: an 18-foot section of the submarine’s bow was blown off and a 12-foot split was opened in the hull.

HMS Triumph was in German-patrolled waters and was so badly damaged that it could no longer dive. It was leaking heavily, with its pumps working continuously to keep it afloat. The commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander John Wentworth McCoy, decided to bring the submarine home and embarked on a 300-mile journey back to the Firth of Forth in Scotland. On occasions, the submarine travelled at speeds as low as 2.5 knots, making it vulnerable to German attack throughout the journey.

As the submarine approached the Scottish coast, a German bomber spotted it and prepared to attack. Fortunately, before the bomber could strike, British fighter aircraft intervened and it was driven away. Thanks to the incredible leadership of Lieutenant Commander John Wentworth McCoy and his incredibly brave crew, HMS Triumph made it safely back to port despite being close to breaking apart. I think we can recognise the heroic nature of that crew, who faced several additional dangers: a crumpled bulkhead, a damaged torpedo, and steering gear that was severely damaged and barely functioning.

Of course, we are talking about the 125 years of our submarine service, and there will be many stories of incredible bravery and commitment, but I wanted to take the opportunity today to share just one of them. I put on record my thanks to all our submariners, past and present, for everything they do to keep our country safe.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Bailey]

Thank you, Sir Roger. It was an 8% cut in real terms that did lasting damage, taking us from 2.6% of GDP down to 2.1%. This Government have taken us from 2.3% when we entered office to 2.7%, and we will go on towards 3% in 2030. We have had to put £26 billion into our bases to recover from the damage that the Opposition did—£15.1 billion in Clyde, including the purchase of three new floating docks and shoreside maintenance facilities to fix the underinvestment, and, as we have heard, an investment of £7.1 billion at Devonport.

I urge some humility at a moment when we are trying to talk about the submarine service. Scrutiny strengthens our armed forces, but careless disclosure and discussion—and using our service people as a political football—do not support our armed forces; they damage the people and families who are out there serving and putting their lives at risk for us.

[Chris Vince]

I want to make this point because I heard other hon. Members mention it, and I know my wife would not forgive me if I did not. We have spoken very passionately about submariners and the sacrifice that they make, but the Minister is absolutely right to identify the huge sacrifice that their families make, particularly in relation to the nuclear deterrent. Those families cannot know where their loved ones are—that is a huge sacrifice. Does he agree?

[Mr Bailey]

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow, who spoke so passionately about the contribution of Raytheon, about and the wonderful Sea Cadets in his constituency and about HMS Triumph. He has just made the point that I was trying to make earlier: we need to be responsible in our reporting and discussions. We need discussions that challenge but are respectful of those who cannot respond when they are used as a political football.

I wear this tie of the submarine service today because, from 2017 to 2020, I worked in the Ministry of Defence alongside some incredible submariners. Every Monday, I had to go up to see some of the colleagues I now work opposite and explain to them why our systems and services were in such a mess. Every Monday, we had to explain the damage that had been done to the submarine service and to the Royal Air Force.

I welcome the comments from the right hon. Member for New Forest East (Sir Julian Lewis), who gave an excellent account of the U-boats. I have a reading list from him about the U-boat killers and the importance of the aircraft that support our submarines. Again, I point to the aircraft that were deleted in the 2010 SDSR. We should all remember the loss of the XV230, the Nimrod from 120 Squadron under the captainship of Flight Lieutenant Squires, which was lost 20 years ago this year, and the 14-person crew—12 RAF, one Royal Marine and one Parachute Regiment—who lost their lives. I am grateful to the right hon. Member for recognising the contribution of those airmen as part of the undersea mission. I also felt great pride during his discussion of “Subsunk”. I was held at readiness to deliver that mission.

I want to acknowledge those who support the service ashore: our engineers, dockyard workers, designers, civil servants and industrial partners who build and sustain the submarines on which it depends.