The North West Evening Mail has issued a vital message to the Government - that it simply must choose local firm BAE Systems for its next aircraft carrier project.

It believes the regional and nation-wide industrial base would be shattered if the work went to rival bidder, French-led consortium Thales.

The Mail said, in an outspoken comment column: "These two ships must be built in Britain by a British company.

"The French-led consortium will have to do the work in Britain, but it may be foreign companies that harvest the benefits of the new techniques and systems which will flow from this £3bn contract."

It said that nowhere was this message more important or better understood than in Barrow.

"Our shipyard has already played a major part in drawing up the BAE bid and can expect a great deal of much-needed manufacturing work if the company wins, " the paper said.

"If BAE loses, the future of the shipyard looks very uncertain. It is already facing the prospect of empty order books when current contracts are completed, so the aircraft carriers are essential to its future.

"If Thales wins, it can pick and choose from various UK yards and has no obligation to award any work to Barrow or to other North West companies.

"BAE, on the other hand, says it expects to award 20 to 30 per cent of the work to firms in the North West."

The fear is that some 4,000 workers currently at the shipyard might lose their jobs.

It is now down to defence secretary Geoff Hoon to make a decision on whether or not BAE should be the prime contractor.

A copy of the Evening Mail, with the strong message for jobs and the economy, will be delivered to every North West MP and every member of the cabinet.

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