Airbus was part of the original ‘project fear’ during the referendum campaign. Yesterday the orchestrated re-heating of these fears was designed to pressurise the Government into holding on to many of our EU membership obligations.
This is curious because the aerospace industry is not subject to tariffs under World Trade Organisation Rules. So Airbus won’t suffer in that way when we leave. As for non-tariff barriers, all the countries outside the EU have no difficulty in getting their products certificated.
I think they really gave the game away however, when the suggestion was made that production might be relocated to that well known EU member… China!
Sir Desmond Swayne TD
