Unite representatives from BAE Systems, Leonardo, MBDA and Rolls
Royce are heading to parliament later today (Monday 13 May) urging
MPs to ensure the continued funding for Tempest, the UK’s
replacement of the Typhoon fighter jet. Plans to develop the
next generation of fighter aircraft and £2 billion of funding were
signed off in July last year leading to the creation of 400 jobs,
with a further 350 working on the project by the end of 2019. Unite
is pressing Penny Mordaunt , the...Request free trial
Unite representatives from BAE Systems, Leonardo, MBDA and Rolls
Royce are heading to parliament later today (Monday 13 May) urging
MPs to ensure the continued funding for Tempest, the UK’s
replacement of the Typhoon fighter jet.
Plans to develop the next generation of fighter
aircraft and £2 billion of funding were signed off in July last
year leading to the creation of 400 jobs, with a further 350
working on the project by the end of 2019.
Unite is pressing , the new defence secretary,
to continue funding for Tempest by ensuring the 10 year defence
equipment plan is fully funded in the comprehensive spending
review.
Commenting Unite national officer Rhys McCarthy
said: “By 2020 nearly 25 pence in every pound of UK defence
spending will be with US companies. It is vital not just for the
UK’s sovereign defence capability, but for jobs and skills
throughout the manufacturing supply chain that the design and build
of projects like Tempest is done here in the UK.
“Unite will continue to press the government to ensure its
commitment to the long term funding of Tempest is not watered down
under the new defence secretary.
“We will also be calling on MPs to back UK defence jobs by urging
the government to pursue procurement policies which favour UK
prosperity through onshore design and build rather than buying off
the shelf from abroad on short-term economic grounds.”
