Crawley's Labour Council To Boycott UK Defence Industry

On the same day that Crawley's Conservative MP Henry Smith will be voting in the House of Commons for the UK to join the coalition to target ISIS terrorists in Syria, the cabinet of Crawley's Labour Council will be voting at Crawley Town Hall for Crawley Borough Council to boycott the UK defence industry. I find this appalling and Labour should hang their heads in shame. I have written about this in this week's Crawley Observer. 

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"The British defence industry is a great economic success story, including here in Crawley.  Across the UK, it employs 300,000 people, including 2,400 at Thales in Manor Royal. Most of these jobs are skilled and well-paid, making a significant contribution to Crawley’s local economy. Our defence industry has an annual turnover of £35 billion and makes up 10% of all UK manufacturing. Make no mistake, having a leading global company such as Thales here in Crawley is prestigious and very beneficial to our town.

Therefore, I am utterly dismayed that the Labour leadership at Crawley Borough Council is actively proposing at their cabinet meeting on Wednesday 2nd December, that the Council should financially boycott the British defence industry. Labour wants to prohibit the Council from investing any of its £100 million cash reserves in our defence industry because of weapons manufacture. These companies make weapons, equipment and the airport security facilities that not only keep our Armed Forces and Police safe, but which ultimately keeps our country safe.

Just three weeks after Jeremy Corbyn’s visit to Crawley, it is clear that Crawley’s Labour Councillors are increasingly using the Council to force Corbyn’s left-wing agenda on Crawley. I strongly urge Labour to change their mind at their cabinet meeting on 2nd December, but if they don’t, all 18 Conservative Crawley Borough Councillors will be voting against Labour’s policy at the Full Council meeting on 16th December.

With Labour having 19 Councillors, it would only take one Labour Councillor to vote against for it to be defeated. I encourage Crawley residents to lobby Labour Councillors to pressure them to put our country first. If they refuse and put Jeremy Corbyn first, then you have the opportunity to vote them out of office at the local elections on 5th May next year. 

If Crawley’s Labour Councillors do not back down and they force their unpatriotic policy on Crawley Borough Council, I give an absolute guarantee that if Crawley elects a Conservative Council next May, we will remove this grotesque insult to our defence industry and our Armed Forces at the very first opportunity."