Eurofighter: finally taking off?

Tory Attacks Eurofighter Project

His criticism comes as the German government is finally giving its formal backing to the multi-billion pound project.

A Labour MP, Lindsay Hoyle, defended the plane, describing it as "potentially a world-beating product". He said thousands of jobs across the country depended on the programme and that the Royal Air Force would have to buy abroad, if the project did not go ahead.

This view was supported by several Conservative MPs. Nigel Evans, Tory MP for Ribble Valley, said it was vital to dismiss the option of buying an alternative from the US: "If we were to go down that road, jobs would be put in jeopardy."

And Michael Jack, Conservative MP for Fylde, added that the "vital success of this project is crucial to the future of the whole European aerospace industry."

But Mr Clark said the Eurofighter should not be seen as a "job creation scheme". Britain should retain its "leading edge technology" and continue research and development of this aircraft. The Eurofighter, however, was not the aircraft the country needed.