Minister blames US cuts for 3,000 BAE job losses
Last month, the British giant said shedding workers would help maintain competitiveness and ensure its long-term future.
Speaking at Defence Questions in the Commons yesterday, Labour’s John Woodcock said the job losses followed a fall in the firm’s exports, and asked what the coalition was doing to boost UK sales abroad.
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Hide AdBut junior defence minister Gerald Howarth said: “BAE didn’t actually cite exports as being the problem. What they cited was the fact they are a multi-national company operating in a number of markets where there is pressure on budgets.
“Their principal market is the USA; the US is looking to make defence cuts of $1,000 billion over the next ten years ,and that is affecting all of us.”
Announcing the job cuts in September, BAE Systems chief executive Ian King said: “Our customers are facing huge pressures on their defence budgets and affordability has become an increasing priority.”