A DEFENCE contract which employs thousands of East Lancashire people was yesterday left out of a document from Britain’s new coalition government.

Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron and Liberal Democrat deputy Nick Clegg launched the ‘The coalition: our programme for government’ - but there was no mention of Eurofighter Typhoon, the military project part-manufactured at BAE Systems’ Samlesbury base.

Before the election, the Lib Dems pledged to axe the Ministry of Defence’s tranche 3b order for Eurofighter, claiming it would save billions of pounds. But the Tories made no such promise, prompting questions as to whether it would become coalition policy.

However, yesterday’s document made no explicit reference to axing Eurofighter or any pledges to protect it.

In the closest reference to East Lancashire’s defence industry, the two parties promised to ‘support defence jobs through exports’, likely to be seen as a vow to back up BAE, Rolls-Royce and others.

However, the document also said it would work to ensure UK arms were only used for ‘legitimate purposes’ abroad.