EDM 1406: Proposed sale of Spirit AeroSystems and jobs in Northern Ireland

That this House notes with deep concern the proposed sale of Spirit AeroSystems, a key employer in Northern Ireland and an integral part of the UK aerospace supply chain; recognises the strategic importance of Spirit’s operations to major industry partners including Boeing, Airbus, and Bombardier; acknowledges the vital contribution of the workforce, represented by GMB and Unite the Union, in maintaining high-skilled manufacturing in the region; is alarmed by the potential loss of over 3,700 jobs and the wider economic impact across Northern Ireland; believes that the company should be kept together as a single, unified entity in order to maintain its operational integrity and safeguard the future of the UK aerospace sector; further notes the precedent of Government intervention in cases such as British Steel to protect strategically important industries; and calls on the Government to urgently convene a meeting with all relevant stakeholders and to explore all available options to ensure the continued viability of Spirit AeroSystems in the UK and the protection of all associated jobs.