DUP urged to pressure May after extent of Bombardier aid revealed

Unaware: Gavin Robinson

in Quebec. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) could set aside the decision when it holds its meeting tomorrow.

Jackie Pollock of Unite said the lack of serious action by the Government — which relies on DUP votes in the Commons for its survival — was indefensible.

“For weeks we have been calling out the lack of urgency from prime minister Theresa May on this issue and the threat it poses to tens of thousands of workers in the UK and Ireland,” he said.

“We have repeatedly demanded she fly to Washington to raise the jobs threat directly with the US president, but so far all that has been done has been two phone calls.”

He said while the DUP are genuinely concerned about the its case. However, that is a separate body, which gave the initial ruling that a 292% tariff would be applied on the sale of Bombardier C Series planes to the US.

Spotlight also said letters from the Government to the ITC showed it had asked for “more time” to submit its case. And in one case, it said it experienced delays due to the annual Twelfth holiday, with civil servants off work.

Labour MP and shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Smith accused the Government of having “more concern with the optics” of trying to protect Northern Ireland jobs.

East Belfast DUP MP Gavin Robinson said he wasn’t aware of how many documents the Government had supplied to the ITC to back its case for Bombardier and Northern Ireland jobs.

But Ulster Unionist economy spokesperson Alan Chambers MLA said the revelations were “simply incredible”.

He added: “what does this say about the influence the DUP really has over the Conservative Government if a four page memo is the best they can do in a bid to save thousands of vital Belfast jobs?”

And Ulster Bank economist, Richard Ramsey, said any major hit to Bombardier could “blow a hole” in Northern Ireland’s manufacturing sector, many of which supply parts to Bombardier.