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The aerospace giant held talks with MPs and ministers on Thursday, discussing the possibility of receiving taxpayers’ cash and opening a new facility in the southern part of the UK. Following the meeting, Airbus CEO Tom Williams issued a stark warning to the Government, saying as many as 14,000 British jobs could be at risk if the Brexit talks ended without a deal. But Tory MP Jack Lopresti, who spent two hours with company bosses, said they never mentioned once Brexit as a problem, and blamed France and Germany for trying to punish Britain. Mr Lopresti said during the meeting Airbus chiefs asked Business Minister Richard Harrington for Government funding and invited the Prime Minister to open their new ‘Wind of the Future’ facility at Filton, near Bristol.

One could be forgiven for thinking that some EU member state governments were using Airbus to try and influence the UK into giving them what they want in any future Brexit deal Jack Lopresti MP

The MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke said: “At no point was Brexit mentioned by Airbus.” Accusing the company of a “ridiculous empty threat”, he added: “Airbus seem to be in a state of confusion about their position. “One could be forgiven for thinking that some EU member state governments were using Airbus to try and influence the UK into giving them what they want in any future Brexit deal.” The MP argued the threat was driven by French and German government “trying to screw us” into accepting their terms for a Brexit deal.

Some EU states are using Airbus to try and influence the UK over Brexit, an MP said

And he reminded this was not the first time Airbus, which made £2.7billion profit last year, tried to use “heavy handed tactics” over Brexit. The French company issued a first warning over the “consequences” of an EU withdrawal in April 2016. Seven executives wrote a letter to the UK staff where they spelled out their reasons for not backing Vote Leave. But they also said Airbus would not end its activities in the UK in the event of a vote to leave the EU, a positions which seems to have changed in the last two years. On Friday, Mr Williams said: "Far from Project Fear, this is a dawning reality for Airbus.

Airbus said a no deal scenario would threaten the company's future in the UK