John Healey responds to announcement that Babcock International will be cutting 1000 jobs from its workforce

“The news that 1000 jobs will be lost, predominantly from the UK, will be deeply worrying for workers and communities including in Devon, Cornwall and Fife. Our country is already experiencing an unemployment crisis and has seen 30,000 defence industry jobs lost under the Conservatives since 2010. This is another blow.

"Labour has called for the Government to back the UK’s world-leading defence sector through a 'British-built by default' approach to boost defence manufacturing in the UK.

"The Government must urgently examine why UK jobs are being lost from a company that is a crucial supplier for the Ministry of Defence, and act quickly to safeguard our economic recovery and protect these highly-skilled jobs and those further down the supply chain."

Ends

Notes to editors

· Babcock International, Business Update 13 April 2021: https://www.babcockinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Babcock-Busines-Update-13.04.2021.pdf