Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox Condemns Scare Stories About Appledore Shipyard Job Losses

Geoffrey Cox, MP for Torridge and West Devon, has condemned as “utterly irresponsible” the attempt by Scottish Labour MPs, and by the local Liberal Democrats, to whip up misleading scare stories about the future of the two new aircraft carriers being built for the Royal Navy.

Part of the steel construction is being carried out at Appledore Shipyard. The Lib Dems have falsely claimed that a new Conservative Government would “use break clauses on day one in government” to “seek to halt” the carrier contracts.

The MP met Peter Rogers, the Chief Executive of the Shipyard owners, Babcock, and Archie Bethell, Chief Executive of Babcock Marine, on Wednesday at the House of Commons for discussions about the project and the future of the Yard. He is to make another visit to the Shipyard at the end of the month.

Geoffrey Cox said: “I had a very good discussion with Babcock who fully understand the Conservative position, as well as my own firm support for the Appledore Shipyard and for the aircraft carrier project, and I am maintaining very close touch with them. But it does not help Appledore Shipyard to misrepresent the situation.

“Liam Fox has not said that the aircraft carriers will be discontinued or that the break clauses will be used. He has said that in this grave financial crisis, there will have to be a strategic defence review into the armed forces as a whole from which nothing can sensibly be excluded. Part of that review, which will last 18 months, will have to look at the aircraft carriers. Since this government will not disclose details of the break clauses, all Liam said was that, in the first place, he would have to investigate what they say so as to be able to establish whether there was any way the carrier contracts could be altered. If not, that would be an end of the matter. But even if there were suitable break clauses, no decision whatsoever has been made to discontinue them, which would, even if it was desired, be extremely difficult to do. There will be a defence review, and Liam has emphasised the importance of maritime security to this country.”

He added: “It is sad that the Liberal Democrats appear willing to use almost any desperate tactic to gain attention and to shore up their failing support here in the South West but to exploit the natural anxieties of local people about their livelihoods by making misleading and inaccurate statements in this way is utterly irresponsible.”