Wednesday, 20th October 2010
UKIP Deputy Leader David Campbell Bannerman MEP, has slammed the coalition Government’s defence cuts.
Mr Campbell Bannerman, UKIP's Defence Spokesman, said MEP said that “It is absolutely ridiculous that the Government has cut the entire Harrier jump jet programme. This means that there will no British jets to fly off the new British aircraft carriers for ten years.”
“One of the new £3 billion aircraft carriers will never actually carry any aircraft and will be mothballed after just three years. What signal is that to send to our brave service personnel who will be denied the tools they need to do their dangerous and essential job.”
The MEP also recalled the warning from former BAE Systems CEO, Mike Turner, who stated that BAE would quit the UK if defence spending went below a reasonable level.
Mr Campbell Bannerman said: “These cuts take us far below anyone’s idea of a reasonable level. If BAE quit the UK, we will lose the world’s second largest defence company. In 2009, their sales alone totalled 22.9 billion pounds and their UK workforce numbers tens of thousands.
"They contribute billions in taxes to the UK economy and in these tough times, we just cannot afford to lose a company like that from the UK.
“I also wonder if the Government has paid any heed to the fact that defence investment can create new high quality jobs?”
The MEP urged the Coalition Government to think again and back the British armed forces with a proper defence budget.
He said: “As UKIP’s Head of Policy, I believe strongly that we must spend an extra 1% of the UK’s GDP on defence. This will give the Navy the ships and planes that they need to their job across the world, for the Army, it means more troops on the ground and the necessary equipment and for the RAF, they’ll get more fighters to fight the Taliban.
“This increased essential investment in Britain’s defence industries will create thousands of new jobs and apprenticeships throughout the country. These will be real jobs for real people.
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