Wednesday 28th October
2015
UKIP Defence Spokesman – “Steel that beat Hitler no
longer good enough for our armed forces”
Mike Hookem MEP slams defence
chiefs, the government and the EU over Swedish steel for UK military ships and
vehicles
UKIP defence spokesman, Mike Hookem MEP has slammed defence chiefs, the
government and the EU for allowing foreign steel to be used to build new ships
and vehicles for the British armed forces, saying; “British steel production was
‘key’ to beating Hitler, but it seems it’s no longer good enough for our armed
forces.”
Mr Hookem’s comments come after it emerged three new Royal Navy
ships and five hundred and eighty nine new army vehicles will be built using
“specialist’ Swedish steel, despite 5,000 jobs being lost in the UK steel
industry this month.
Former soldier, Mr Hookem said, “It seems utterly
ridiculous to me that at a time when British steel workers are being made
redundant, defence chiefs and the government can allow imported steel to be used
to build new vehicles and ships for our armed forces.”
“I understand
that EU competition rules ban the government from specifying where the steel is
procured from, but it’s time the government grew a pair of balls, showed some of
the grit that saw the UK through two world wars and told the EU to get
lost!”
“The simple fact is these contracts should be used to help
British steel producers in these tough times and I’m positive the men and women
of our armed forces would appreciate using vehicles and ships produced from
British steel.”
“This row is yet another example of how EU rules
undermine and ultimately destroys British industry. The fact is the UK is
quickly moving to a purely service economy that will no longer allow us to
challenge as a major power on the world stage. For me, this is the EU’s ultimate
goal as is will mean we are reliant on other EU nations for everything from
electricity production to
steel.”
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