MP heads Airbus lobby

BAE says the £25m grant would create 1,400 new jobs

North Wales MP Barry Jones is leading a delegation to London in a campaign to secure the future of the Airbus A3XX super-jumbo.

Mr Jones - MP for Alyn and Deeside - and union officials from the BAE Systems plant in Broughton are lobbying the Wales Office.

They hope it will put pressure on the Assembly to re-think its refusal of a £25m towards a factory extension for new work producing wings for the super-jumbo which would create around 1,400 new jobs.

Barry Jones MP: Heading lobby

Assembly's First Secretary Rhodri Morgan has shown no signs yet of changing his mind over the regional assistance.

But Mr Jones and the factory's union leaders are optimistic that Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy can use his influence to persuade Mr Morgan.

BAE Systems announced last week it would be sending a fresh bid for the funding, increasing the pressure on Mr Morgan.

The delegation claims 1,400 jobs - which would otherwise almost certainly come to Broughton to build the wings for the Airbus super-jumbo - are at risk if the money is not forthcoming.

In March, the first secretary defended his "tough decision" not to hand out the grant, based on the recommendation of an advisory group of Welsh industrialists.

BAE Systems had asked for the grant to help build a new £100m factory to produce wings for the planned new super-jumbo.

Mr Morgan, though, said he would not challenge the recommendation of the independent Welsh Industrial Development Advisory Board.