COMMENT Airbus concern over Brexit job losses is a big worry

Verity wonders who on earth would spend Â£300 on a candle at House of Fraser?

Though obviously potentially grim news, it cannot have come as a giant surprise to some. Aerospace giant Airbus have popped their heads above the parapet and waved a flag warning of their post-Brexit concerns.

And it is a warning that could have severe consequences for many people in the Portsmouth area. That is because Airbus are no small employer. Indeed, their Anchorage Park site, near Hilsea, employs around 1,400 people.

So news they could pull out of the UK in the event of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit is worrying in the extreme.

The firm says it would ‘reconsider its investments’ in the UK if Britain crashed out of the single market and customs union without a transition agreement.

Remember what happened two years ago today? There was a Referendum vote on whether to stay in the EU, and the majority of the public voted to Leave rather than Remain.

Those two years have gone quickly, haven’t they?

Well, millions of words have been written since June 23, 2016, about the EU. And the people of the UK still have little or no idea what kind of Brexit deal they will end up with.

No wonder global companies like Airbus are going public to voice their concerns. Don’t be surprised if others follow suit.

Tom Williams, the chief operating officer of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, said: ‘In any scenario, Brexit has severe negative consequences for the UK aerospace industry and Airbus in particular.

‘We have sought to highlight our concerns over the past 12 months, without success.’

Two years on, therefore, Airbus and their 1,400 Portsmouth employees are still unsure what the eventual outcome will be.

At the moment only one thing is known for sure – the uncertainty and worry aren’t going to go away anytime soon ...