Fighter talk

India has said that the French firm Dassault Aviation had won preferred bidder status to supply 126 Rafale combat aircraft (your report, 1 February).

The initial deal is worth £7 billion but could be £13bn when all told.

The UK government had previously said that the UK’s generous £280 million-a-year aid package for four years to India would help secure this order for BAE Systems, which builds the Eurofighter Typhoon jet.

France gave India £18m. We must immediately stop aid to India.

India has a huge military machine, a mega-expensive space programme and more billionaires than Britain.

If this decision is not changed then the aid money will be required for redundancies at BAE’s Brough plant.

To those bleeding hearts who disagree and think that the UK should give aid to all and sundry, I would say “put your hand in your own pocket not mine”.

Clark Cross

Springfield Road

Linlithgow