Defence workers’ union calls on government to ‘buy British’

Unite union leader Sharon Graham has met with the defence secretary John Healey seeking government assurances that it will commit to buying UK built defence equipment.

The union says its ‘buy British’ call has become even more urgent as reports have emerged that the UK is leaning towards purchasing American F-35s rather than the latest version of the Eurofighter Typhoon, which is built in Lancashire by BAE Systems.

Unite says the RAF’s need to replace some of its existing Typhoon fighters is a result of them reaching the end of their operational lifespan and being retired as a result.

It has warned that replacing them with F-35s risks “seriously damaging” the UK’s sovereign capability.

BAE Systems is currently ‘actively engaged’ with the government on its ongoing Strategic Defence Review, which is due to make recommendations on the UK’s future defence plan in the first half of next year.

Unite estimates that around 6,500 jobs at BAE Systems and at engine supplier Rolls Royce are directly dependant on work on the Typhoon, with a further 14,000 in the supply chain. Around half of the jobs are in Lancashire and the wider North West.

Its general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The UK’s defence workers are critical to the country’s national security. We now need a strong commitment from the MoD that it will invest in the UK to maintain vital skills and capacity in this country.

“Recent events clearly show that in an increasingly unstable world it would be reckless not to ensure that our own domestic defence industry is properly supported and capable of meeting the security challenges we face now and into the future.

“Defence workers were let down by the previous government due to a combination of incompetence and indecision. Labour must now step up to the plate and make the clear unequivocal investment decisions that workers and their employers desperately need.”

Unite’s general secretary has also demanded that the government fully commit to the Tempest fighter programme, earmarked to replace the Typhoon, to allow the companies involved in the project to make the investment needed to ensure it enters service as planned in 2035.

The UK is a partner with Italy and Japan on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop the sixth-generation fighter and accompanying systems, with much of the early work taking place at BAE Systems’ Lancashire facilities.

Unite has also highlighted to the parliamentary defence select committee that the UK is currently the only member of the Eurofighter consortium with no new aircraft on order.

In a letter to committee chair Tan Dhesi, union leaders at BAE’s Warton plant, near Preston, have called on the government to commit to ordering a squadron of 24 Typhoons.

It says: “A domestic order will not only fulfil a military requirement for the RAF in these unstable times but will also ensure that vital skills required to build the next generation aircraft, GCAP, are retained at Warton.”

Currently, more than a third of the components for Typhoons being built for Germany and Spain are being produced at BAE Systems’ Samlesbury plant in Lancashire.

The final assembly of Typhoons ordered by Qatar in a £6bn deal is currently ongoing at Warton. It has previously delivered aircraft ordered by Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Meanwhile, the Eurofighter partners are actively looking for more export opportunities for the fighter project.

Planemakers in Lancashire are also involved in the American F-35 stealth jet project. Workers at Samlesbury produce the rear section for every aircraft in the global fleet. The first was delivered to US defence and aerospace group Lockheed Martin in 2005.

A BAE Systems spokesperson said: “Typhoon manufacturing is currently underpinned by the orders from Qatar, Germany and Spain which will ensure continuity of production of major units beyond the late-2020s.

“Further orders are needed to extend production beyond the latter part of this decade.”

The union’s call for government assurances over UK investment in defence comes as a new report reveals BAE Systems’ Air business supports 70,000 jobs and contributes £5bn to the national economy.

The report by Oxford Economics has demonstrated the “critical role” BAE Systems’ Air business plays in supporting economic growth in the UK, particularly in the North West.

In 2023 it contributed over £5bn to UK GDP, alongside an additional £2.6bn in exports - a figure that has doubled since 2016 – and a further £220m to the UK government through tax revenues

It supported almost 70,700 jobs across the UK in highly skilled roles including combat air design, engineering, support and training, 20,000 of which were in the North West.

And it partnered with 1,400 UK suppliers, returning nearly £2.5bn to businesses in the country through its supply chain

Simon Barnes, group managing director of BAE Systems Air, said: “At a time of great uncertainty around the world, our core focus is to serve, supply and protect those who serve and protect us.

“We also recognise the very significant impact we make to our economy and communities across the UK, and this report demonstrates how we are boosting national economic growth and job creation, with average productivity 15 per cent above the national average.

“The report reinforces the importance of investing in national sovereign capabilities in combat air systems and UK-owned defence technology and intellectual property.  The benefits delivered for the UK are clear and significant.”

Kevin Craven, chief executive of defence and security trade association ADS, said: “Military aerospace is a pivotal part of the UK economy.

“The UK’s strong defence industrial base, which is driven by export-generating companies like BAE Systems and its supply chain, is vital for our continued security.

“Collectively, the UK’s aerospace sector creates 104,000 jobs across the country and ensuring the sector thrives is deeply important for securing UK advantage.”

At any point in time, BAE Systems Air has more than 1,400 apprentices and graduates across its business. 

Unite is also calling for the jobs and skills of workers at MoD contractors Spirit Aerospace and Harland and Wolff to be preserved and for new military satellite systems and RAF helicopters to be manufactured in the UK.