The most promising part of the speech was the support for export programmes. This is quite different from what Robin Cook started out with in the last government, although he soon found out it was easier said than done.

Some of it sounded like fine words and it will be interesting to find what happens in the longer term. Statements like upgrading existing products is taking funding away from new technology. This sounds real enough yet getting those few extra years or enabling an existing item to meet a new threat sound more cost effective than letting them become incapable. Also the statement about too much optimisation also sounds good but with many defence products you either win or lose and being unable to hit the target isn’t a useful option.  In reality watch out for less upgrading, more new technology, less gold plating.

Other statements like recognising sovereignty for some items but co-operating more with the French are things that the aircraft industry has done for years.  Cutting numbers to make up for cost overruns isn’t that new either. Co-operating with the French is something that has been mentioned in both nuclear and aircraft carrier work so perhaps that is a clue to his thinking on one or both of those.

In conclusion the export support and new technology themes are positive. We await the defence review.

This aircraft demonstrates the UK capability to produce the stealthy airframe, electronics and engine with the complex ground control system. Positioning for the future is important with BAE SYSTEMS and Rolls Royce being two of the biggest and most advanced engineering companies in the UK. The market for these vehicles will be substantial and international partnerships, leadership and workshare isn’t yet established. At this time we also await the government strategic defence review output which will examine the UK’s requirements.

With Tornado, Typhoon and Lightning II the manned element has at least 30 years life unless technology overtakes it as it frequently threatens, but not succeeding, to do. Although it seems likely the two types will complement each other for some time. Interesting imagining how quickly things could change.

Many years ago a BA flight over Malaysia flew into a volcanic cloud, all four engines went out and the windscreen was sandblasted. A great story if you can find the full transcript. After gliding out of the ash the pilot managed to restart the engines but couldn’t see out of the windscreen. He landed successfully to much acclaim.

You might think the aircraft could fly lower or higher where there is less ash. Aircraft fly into desert airports with sand blowing about. Is this an over-reaction and total risk aversion. A bit of a surprise to wake up with this announcement when nothing had been publicly threatened as late as 11pm last night and the volcano has been erupting for some time. Also not a lot of news about how long this might continue and what flight alternatives are being offered people. Overall seems to be being covered more like a show than a major disruption. Few questions are being asked about whether it’s an over-reaction and why was there no notice.

You expect the Green Party to support green policies. Yes, wind power, insulation and waste management are high on the agenda.  Along with quite high social provision and low defence provision. 

Who could argue with wind, insulation and waste measures? Insulation seems to be one of the biggest factors in reducing energy bills. It isn’t very glamorous though and isn’t going to gain technological credibility so doesn’t get a lot of press. 

All those windmills.  Are they becoming a bit of a blight already?  They’re often not turning, so not very dependable. For the region with its seas, hills and facing the prevailing wind we can expect a lot more who-ever is in power but even more with the Greens. We can also expect Heysham Power Stations to close and the fuel site at Salwick.

Waste? All that plastic packaging and milk cartons. Surely it should be discouraged.  Some countries already re-cycle twice as much as the UK without too much difficulty.

Another Green policy is an increase in public transport.  Not too long ago their promise of building 30,000 new buses would sound like manna from heaven for this region, Leyland,  but now there is hardly any bus building except some body work at East Lancs Coachbuilders, Optare.  

There wasn’t much written about reducing car use but cutting rail fares by  30% and expanding public transport implies a reduction in car use. I’m not convinced about a 30% cut in rail fares. A cut from £10 to £7 is only marginally advantageous and if I was spending that every day, a cut from £50 to £35 wouldn’t be life changing. I’m against encouraging distance commuting so in some ways an increase in fares might help that.  I have free bus use now and have never used it, so cars will need to be penalised. 

The 30,000 buses are an interesting concept. British jobs for British workers?  Including steel from Middlesbrough for windmills and buses, although probably it’s the wrong steel and too little, too late and steel making isn’t green. 

Taxes on aviation, like VAT on aviation fuel, and restrictions on new runways coupled with reductions in rail fares, might create an advantage to resorts like Blackpool.  Especially if the pound sank because of the financial controls the Greens promise. 

On defence the Greens are looking at a defensive posture and only venturing overseas under the UN. As UN don’t usually use more than Land Rovers and light armour you could say no overseas capability will be needed.  Is that goodbye to Ascension, Falklands and perhaps Gibraltar.  Aircraft Carriers and their aircraft and probably a lot of the navy wouldn’t be needed. Trident is definitely out.  I wouldn’t hold much hope for the aircraft industry in Lancashire or ship industry at Barrow.  As an area with a large defence and nuclear industry how many defence workers does it take to insulate one loft.

The Greens are also big on social welfare including workers and human rights and a citizens wage. 

There are other policies about building solar arrays in Africa and using high voltage d.c. transmission lines to bring in the power.  As well as local generation.  It’s not long ago I was reading about the advantages of the a.c. distribution system so I must re-visit that. Surely a policy like that couldn’t be written without engineering awareness. 

The Greens also support the EU, but not as a nation, and support international co-operation, who doesn’t.

As you’d expect, some big changes would result and I was a bit surprised that they seem quite left wing when out of the major elements of the ‘green zone’.   I’d support a ‘greener’ track in many aspects and use of local producers and local workers appeals. There’s always a downside to this type of social engineering in that if basic stuff becomes more expensive you’ve less to spend on enjoyment. In conclusion they won’t get my vote but have my support as a pressure group.

The Lib Dem spokesman is in for the kill, appearing on every broadcast, adamant that this is shocking behaviour although his opinion on other similar shocking behaviour isn’t widely known so maybe he doesn’t like the defence industry.

Just before an election will Gordon Brown fire these arrows into the heart of Britains largest manufacturing company or is he more pragmatic?  BAE SYSTEMS has changed its management and is reported to be agreeable to some compromise.

In the last 10 years large British manufacturing businesses have nearly all disappeared or been taken over by foreign companies.  An injured company with good products is prey.

Take the water companies they were said to be too fat so they got a windfall tax. Next thing they are owned by the French.  How much will BAE be damaged, the shares went down 4% today which doesn’t seem too much although they had already fallen in the last few weeks.  How much will this injure the company and who would be interested in taking the business or breaking it up?

The Samlesbury work is said to come with the end of Airbus work for Spirit Aerosystems who are a US based aero-structures company. I was looking at their website and noted that they have recently opened a site in Malaysia and the work to be done there sounded similar to that they quoted at Samlesbury (and Prestwick), including carbon fibre structural components which sound like the high end of capability.

At Warton the job reduction is in manufacturing Tornado, Hawk and Nimrod.

The unions are reported in the LEP as saying that they wish to avoid compulsory redundancy. I don’t know how the F35 / JSF work builds up but it is surprising that with the large quantities forecast for this project that there is a reduction. Particularly at Samlesbury and the total number locally sounds small enough to manage with voluntary arrangements.

On top of that BAE SYSTEMS have recently been trumpeting their UAV projects and although these might be a long way from production quantities that would sustain a workforce they add more scope for jobs in future.

Defence companies have recently been lobbying parliament about maintaining projects and maybe this is a demonstration of the fragility of the workload.

In the UK we are good at defence products, along with pharmaceuticals and finance (sic). Let’s keep them strong.

First there was an allotment open day near Stanley Park so we had a look in. Some commendable plots and some demonstrating how nature can take over quickly. One lady said the owner next door had been ill and in that year it had grown 4 feet high rushes from the neighbouring marshland.

That was before we went onto Stanley Park which was looking healthy with its floral displays. There was a cool group with the coolest singer on the bandstand making pretty good covers of Rolling Stones numbers – Not Fade Away. Being of the age that NFA was the song of a new era I wanted to join in but one mustn’t be an embarrassing grandpa.  Good turn out as well sitting in the pseudo-Roman ampitheatre by the lake.

There was a steam train taking passengers from Blackburn and Preston to Blackpool in what is being called Wakes Week festivities in Blackpool.  It was intended to see this but the allotment was an unexpected time sucker and we missed it.

Then we walked to the prom to watch the Blackpool Air Display. The new headlands are ideal with steps like an ampitheatre to the sand and it was packed. RAF Typhoon life size replica and a Tornado cockpit. Flying dispaly of Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Extras, Vulcan, Red Arrows and lots more. The Vulcan made a short display with a pass followed by a steep climb away to emphasise the noise and that made it all worthwhile – I felt suddenly exhilarated and wanted to shout yah-hoo but thought it might not have looked too good. Although there was a punk meeting in Blackpool and there were some amazing outfits around who might have sympathised. I thought a lot of them looked a bit self conscious yet it’s good to see people being different. There seemed to be a lot of big motorbikes about as well.

The other thing about the headland is that there is now grass on Blackpool prom and people seemed to like it.  It’s time they finished the prom it seems to have been in progress for years although the bits finished look good.  It was a good day out, didn’t cost much either.  Nearly time to watch Louis Theroux, so neat timing.

Good employment news in the area. Some might say it could have been better but it takes some uncertainty away. This order is only half the quantity originally expected and the Ministry of Defence and RAF are making noises that they don’t want any more Typhoons the difference being taken up by export orders.

Earlier in the year the Barnoldswick plant was subject to job losses so this is a boost in the area. Overall it adds to the north-wests part in the aircraft and defence manufacturing industry and this has both an upside and a downside.  The upside being the jobs are generally highly skilled and quite well paid but the downside being subject to the fluctuations of one sector. Particularly the F35 which will have a large airframe facility at BAE SYSTEMS Samlesbury. Good news for jobs in the next few years anyway.