AS UK

defence manufacturing shrinks because of spending cuts, ministers regularly find themselves with the unpleasant task of handling announcements about job losses. This can lead to ugly tussles over which politician should face the music.

In autumn 2017, then Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon was involved in a bitter row with Business Secretary Greg Clark over whose department should respond to a decision by BAE, the aircraft technology giant, to cut 2,000 staff.

An MoD insider claims Clark ‘hid in his office’ to avoid dealing with the controversy, leading to a shouting match outside Cabinet between the two Secretaries of State.

‘We knew he was hiding from the media,’ the insider recalled. ‘His people were claiming he was incredibly busy; but we knew he was just in his office.

‘He didn’t want to handle the presentational stuff on the job losses, or put out ministerial statements.

‘We told him it was his f****** job!’