David Cameron to meet BAE boss about job cuts

The prime minister is to meet the chief executive of BAE Systems in the new year to discuss its staff's futures.

The meeting was revealed during talks between Humber MPs, unions and BAE management on saving nearly 900 workers in East Yorkshire from redundancy.

An independent report looking at ways of retaining the BAE workforce is expected be published on 31 December.

BAE Systems announced plans in September to cut posts at its Brough site to maintain its competitiveness.

The defence giant wants to shed the jobs at Brough together with almost 1,400 at its sites in Warton and Samlesbury, Lancashire.

Miliband support

Bosses at the firm met with MPs and unions for the last time before the 90-day consultation into the job losses ends on 26 December.

MPs Diana Johnson, Andrew Percy and Karl Turner, along with Unite union convener Ian Gent, pressed BAE Systems to save its staff or to look at ways to assist its workers and with the wider regeneration of its Brough site.

Afterwards, Ms Johnson, MP for Hull North, said a meeting between the defence and business secretaries and Mr Cameron would be expected to take place in the new year.

She said Labour leader Ed Miliband has written to the prime minister giving his full support for the meeting.

An independent study into the future of manufacturing at the BAE site in Brough is being conducted by the think tank, Civitas, which researches and promotes social action. The findings are expected to be published at the end of the month.

Civitas said it was unable to comment on the study due to a signed non-disclosure agreement with BAE Systems.