Nia Griffith MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, speaking as former aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious begins its final journey to be scrapped in Turkey, said:

“This is an immensely sad day for our Royal Navy and for Britain, as we are now left without a single operational aircraft carrier. 

“This is yet another reminder of the Government’s mismanagement of our naval fleet and its failure to plan adequately for the future. As both Labour and the cross-party Defence Select Committee have been warning, our Navy has fallen to dangerously low levels and there are serious concerns that Tory defence procurement policies are damaging the British steel and shipbuilding industries and leaving Britain more vulnerable.

“As our last working aircraft carrier sails out of port, the Government must now come forward with a comprehensive strategy to ensure that our Royal Navy has all the support and capabilities that it requires.”