50,000 Back Bombardier

19 July 2011, 11:48 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A 50,000 signature petition backing Bombardier in Derby has been taken to the House of Commons.

The document asks the Government to reverse its decision to give a train-building contract to a German company ahead of Bombardier in Derby.

Prime Minister David Cameron has already said the Government would not be able to go back on its decision to award Siemens the £1.4 billion deal to build 1,200 train carriages.

Union leaders say the move means 1,400 jobs could be lost in Derby.

Ministers have insisted that the way the tendering process was set up under the last government, and current EU laws, makes it impossible to reverse its decision without an expensive legal mess.

50,000 Signatures

Labour's Derby North MP Chris Williamson delivered the 50,000 signature petition to the House of Commons.

The bundles of paper were so heavy he needed help from a colleague to carry them.

Mr Williamson said:

"I think the citizens of Derby are hoping the Prime Minister and the Government will take the same course of action we saw in 1971 when Rolls-Royce went bust and the Government did the right thing at that time.''