Former head of GCHQ praises Labour’s defence and security plans

Keir Starmer at the Fusilier Museum in Bury on 3 June, where he and John Healey introduced Labour’s ‘triple lock’ for the nuclear deterrent. Photograph: Cameron Smith/Getty Images

Labour’s position on national security has been endorsed by a former head of the UK intelligence agency, GCHQ, who said the party could be trusted to “stick to serious defence policy”.

The backing by Sir David Omand is a boost in an important area for Keir Starmer, who has sought to promote Labour’s security as a way of emphasising how the party has changed since Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.