EADS wants commitment on UK contracts

EADS, the Franco-German parent company of Airbus, is calling on the British government to allow it to compete for a greater share of defence and aerospace contracts in exchange for its continued investment in the UK. Robin Southwell, UK chief executive for EADS, also raised doubts about the suitability of BAE Systems, Britain's biggest arms manufacturer, for the role of national defence champion. He questioned whether the UK wanted to 'continue down the line to have a national champion that has such a clear focus on the US'. The approach risked creating a 'level of dependency on the US that is unhealthy'.