0:00:05 > 0:00:06Bombardier.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Northern Ireland's biggest manufacturing employer.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14But its future is in doubt.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Up to 4000 jobs at the Belfast factory of the Canadian-owned
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Bombardier plane maker are under threat after a trade ruling
0:00:19 > 0:00:21by the US Government.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23US giant Boeing says Bombardier is using government subsidies
0:00:23 > 0:00:28to sell its C Series planes below cost in America.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Essentially Bombardier are offering new airplanes
0:00:30 > 0:00:31at used airplane prices.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33The US wants to hit back with tariffs that
0:00:33 > 0:00:36will hurt jobs here.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Could my job be on the line?
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Yes, it could, like anybody else's job.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42The Government has promised unrelenting action.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45We will leave no stone unturned.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48But have they ducked a fight with Trump?
0:00:48 > 0:00:53And have their backers in the DUP been kept in the dark?
0:00:53 > 0:00:55The UK Government argued that it's not a legally proper party
0:00:55 > 0:00:58to the dispute and it almost seemed to be suggesting the dispute had
0:00:58 > 0:01:00nothing to do with them.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Were you aware that that was the legal argument they were taking?
0:01:03 > 0:01:04No.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05I'll be very interested, then.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08If you've got that information then please share it with me.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Everything hinges on a final decision this Friday and I've been
0:01:11 > 0:01:15to the US capital to delve deep into the case.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Well, it is clear that the UK Government has
0:01:17 > 0:01:20not come in full force.
0:01:20 > 0:01:21This is what the UK Government submitted.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25With 4,000 jobs at stake, there's four pages of argument.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27As they say here...
0:01:27 > 0:01:30You do the math.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32You said that evidence has indeed been provided,
0:01:32 > 0:01:37is that not misleading?
0:01:37 > 0:01:40No, it was completely right.
0:01:40 > 0:01:41Tonight on Spotlight...
0:01:41 > 0:01:44If Trump's tariffs take hold, how safe are jobs in Bombardier
0:01:44 > 0:01:45and the Government?
0:01:45 > 0:01:47I think legitimate questions will be asked about their fitness
0:01:47 > 0:01:49to remain in government.
0:01:49 > 0:01:55It's going to be only America First.
0:02:08 > 0:02:09This global story begins where its most dire
0:02:09 > 0:02:17consequences could be felt - in Belfast.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Thank you very much, much appreciated, thank you, now.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Gaye Partridge is a Bombardier worker and union rep.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27She was in lobbying mode just before Christmas at Belfast City Council -
0:02:27 > 0:02:31seeking support for the 4000 jobs that are on the line.
0:02:31 > 0:02:39Support she believes could be vital.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42And one Northern Ireland party, the DUP, was enjoying
0:02:42 > 0:02:44some global clout.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47There was no deal agreed in Brussels today after an intervention
0:02:47 > 0:02:50by the Democratic Unionist Party.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53We have even seen today that the DUP can call a halt
0:02:53 > 0:02:56to the Brexit negotiations, so do you think the DUP can persuade
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Theresa May to persuade Donald Trump to get rid of these tariffs?
0:02:59 > 0:03:01So we are hoping that their clout will mean that, yes,
0:03:01 > 0:03:06the DUP can deliver this for us.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Under political pressure, in September even the Prime
0:03:08 > 0:03:09Minister intervened.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11I've spoken to President Trump more than once on this issue.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15I had a meeting with him where I raised this issue.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17The DUP urged the Government to do more.
0:03:17 > 0:03:18It's time, I think, for the British Government
0:03:18 > 0:03:21and the Canadian Government to up their game.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Within days, Government support was on display in Parliament.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28We will leave no stone unturned.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31We have had 24 calls or meetings with the US administration,
0:03:31 > 0:03:3612 with Boeing executives, 20 with the Government of Canada.
0:03:36 > 0:03:37The DUP seemed reassured that the game was,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40indeed, being upped.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43I as the representative of East Belfast greatly appreciate
0:03:43 > 0:03:46not only the work thus far but even the presence today of
0:03:46 > 0:03:47the Northern Ireland Secretary, the Business Secretary,
0:03:47 > 0:03:53the Business Minister, the Defence Procurement Minister
0:03:53 > 0:03:54and indeed the Foreign Secretary, Mr Speaker,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56who was present - showing
0:03:56 > 0:03:59just how much support there is politically for us.
0:03:59 > 0:04:06Another political chamber and Gaye Partridge seeks similar support.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10We need your support to urgently call on Boeing to drop this case.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12If Bombardier were to pull out of Belfast it would
0:04:12 > 0:04:15have a serious impact on the Northern Ireland economy.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I am therefore calling on you, on this council, to support
0:04:18 > 0:04:20the motion to support the skills and jobs of Belfast.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Thank you very much.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Presentation over, she joined me in the public gallery.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Did it go OK?
0:04:30 > 0:04:36It's really nerve wracking down there, so it is.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38No need to worry, the backing was unanimous.
0:04:38 > 0:04:39This is one of those
0:04:39 > 0:04:42occasions where we can and we have united.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46And, Lord Mayor, our party will also be supporting this motion tonight.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48The entire number of members here voted for the motion,
0:04:48 > 0:04:56and so the motion is carried.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01Thank you. Thank you very much.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04The hopes of the workers now rest in the hands of politicians.
0:05:04 > 0:05:12It's over to the Government now to act.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Economist Richard Ramsey believes the huge size of Bombardier
0:05:21 > 0:05:24in Northern Ireland means that if it sank it could bring so much down
0:05:24 > 0:05:30with it that everyone would feel its effects.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33It's one of our top exporters, top R&D spenders, top employers
0:05:33 > 0:05:36and you take Bombardier out of the equation and that would blow
0:05:36 > 0:05:40a hole in our overall performance.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Ultimately you're then going to see less money going through
0:05:42 > 0:05:45the Northern Ireland economy.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47This small economy is suddenly caught in a dispute involving one
0:05:47 > 0:05:50the biggest companies in the world, Boeing, and one of the biggest
0:05:50 > 0:05:54forces in global politics.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56We want products made by our workers.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57In our factories.
0:05:57 > 0:06:05Stamped with those four magnificent words: "Made in the USA."
0:06:05 > 0:06:08We've seen that Northern Ireland has become at the frontline of
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Donald Trump's America First policy.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14So how did this happen?
0:06:14 > 0:06:17It's all to do with the UK and Canadian government money used
0:06:17 > 0:06:25in making the C Series plane and its Belfast-built wings.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27A heart-warming sight for Northern Ireland -
0:06:27 > 0:06:31a 100 tonne transport aircraft.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33If the planes achieve the expected demand, it means a lot
0:06:33 > 0:06:35of employment in Ulster.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Big aviation projects always promise plenty of good jobs,
0:06:38 > 0:06:45but they often require plenty of Government support.
0:06:45 > 0:06:46Bombardier's C Series - a 21st century airplane
0:06:46 > 0:06:52designed for 21st airlines.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54-- 21st-century airlines.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58A brand new plane with the wings designed and made in Belfast.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59I want to congratulate the workforce on everything
0:06:59 > 0:07:02that they have achieved.
0:07:02 > 0:07:08It has made it possible for us to give the grants and help.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12This help for the C Series wings was £113 million
0:07:12 > 0:07:13from the Government.
0:07:13 > 0:07:19A repayable loan or a subsidy?
0:07:19 > 0:07:22It's that Government money which is now at the heart of this dispute.
0:07:22 > 0:07:29And here's what that money helped build.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Swiss, one of the few airlines with C Series already in service.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35So, the head height is good.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Even for someone tall like me.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43Ladies and gentlemen...
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Those Belfast-built wings help make the plane more fuel efficient,
0:07:45 > 0:07:51saving money for airlines.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54This plane can fly transatlantic, but it may never reach the US.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Unexpected turbulence amid political climate change has
0:07:57 > 0:08:02hit the C Series hard.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Call it Storm Trump.
0:08:06 > 0:08:14We are going to enforce our trade rules and stop foreign cheating.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Tremendous cheating.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Tremendous cheating.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22But who's cheating on whom?
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Labour fears Belfast workers have been sacrificed by a Government
0:08:25 > 0:08:29focused on Brexit and cosying up to Trump?
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Are they afraid of being exposed in Northern Ireland
0:08:32 > 0:08:35for their failure to protect jobs or are they so keen to score
0:08:35 > 0:08:37a sweetheart trade deal with the US that they simply
0:08:37 > 0:08:41want to wash their hands of this matter?
0:08:41 > 0:08:44It's a charge the Government strongly rejects.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48But Labour has demanded evidence.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50In this key exchange, the Business Secretary was asked
0:08:50 > 0:08:52in October if he had engaged with the US authorities
0:08:52 > 0:08:58who will ultimately decide the case - the Trade Commission.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01What attempts have the Government made thus far to provide evidence
0:09:01 > 0:09:06to the US independent Trade Commission?
0:09:06 > 0:09:08In terms of submitting evidence to the Trade Commission
0:09:08 > 0:09:13in the United States, this has indeed been provided.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16I wanted to find out what evidence was submitted because it's the US
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Trade Commission that decides on Friday if sales of
0:09:20 > 0:09:22the C Series harmed Boeing.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26If there's no harm, the case ends.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28So how the UK Government argues its case is vital
0:09:28 > 0:09:31for workers in Belfast.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Ian Mullan works in the warehouse and helps load the massive
0:09:42 > 0:09:46C Series wings for delivery.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49It's a very good job to have, and I am classed as unskilled
0:09:49 > 0:09:52and I have managed to get a mortgage and a car and everything out of it
0:09:52 > 0:09:54and support a family with it.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57My dad worked here with me, I have uncles that work
0:09:57 > 0:09:58here and have retired from here as well.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Thousands more jobs outside of Bombardier also
0:10:00 > 0:10:01benefit from its work.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Here is Marlborough Engineering, that's a company that is based just
0:10:04 > 0:10:06round the corner from here, and just behind us on another
0:10:06 > 0:10:08staging there's a sign for Barbour Engineering,
0:10:08 > 0:10:09based in Bangor.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12It's jobs here versus jobs in the US.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15The argument from Boeing is that this place was built
0:10:15 > 0:10:17with the help of public money with handouts, a subsidy
0:10:17 > 0:10:21and therefore it's not fair.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Well, I think they're wrong, because the UK Government did
0:10:23 > 0:10:26give Bombardier money to build this factory.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29However, it was not a given, it was a loan and we have
0:10:29 > 0:10:31to repay the money.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34So why do the US authorities think the loan is unfair?
0:10:34 > 0:10:42I went to Washington to find out, and see what the UK
0:10:46 > 0:10:53Government had been doing here for Bombardier workers.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56It's not the first time the US has expressed concern about that
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Government money for Bombardier.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01US trade representatives threatened action nearly a decade ago
0:11:01 > 0:11:05when it was first revealed, but nothing happened.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Until in 2016 Bombardier won a major order from a US
0:11:08 > 0:11:15airline for C Series planes.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Now they were entering American airspace with help from foreign
0:11:18 > 0:11:22governments, and US rival Boeing wasn't happy.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26It compiled a petition alleging unfair competition.
0:11:26 > 0:11:34And fired it straight into the arms of the Trump administration.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39It landed first at the Department of Commerce.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Their job is to promote the US economy.
0:11:42 > 0:11:50And this time the authorities sprang into action.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Remember that repayable loan from the UK Government to Bombardier?
0:11:52 > 0:11:55What if it's not, in fact, repayable?
0:11:55 > 0:12:00Buried within around 7000 pages of documents the UK Government
0:12:00 > 0:12:03submitted to the Commerce Department I've discovered a key
0:12:03 > 0:12:05fact about that loan.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08And it may hold the secret of why the Commerce Department believes
0:12:08 > 0:12:13the Government money to Bombardier was unfair to Boeing.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18And what this document reveals is that if something goes wrong
0:12:18 > 0:12:19beyond Bombardier's control it's the Government, not Bombardier,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22that is on the hook for the lot.
0:12:22 > 0:12:30In that case, the repayable loan won't be repaid.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36This is the seal of the International Trade Commission.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40It really does stand for that notion of equality, justice,
0:12:40 > 0:12:41fairness.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Professor Jennifer Hillman is a former judge at
0:12:43 > 0:12:44the Trade Commission.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47She feels what I've uncovered is key to the case.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51In US eyes the loan isn't commercial - it's a handout.
0:12:51 > 0:12:52If the repayable launch investment isn't ultimately
0:12:52 > 0:12:55repayable, is that relevant?
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Yes, it is.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00By guaranteeing in the end of the day that if all else fails
0:13:00 > 0:13:02the UK Government will step in, the Government is
0:13:02 > 0:13:04assuming a lot of risk.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07The fact that the Government is taking on that risk turns it
0:13:07 > 0:13:12from being a commercially viable loan into a subsidy.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14So that's why the Commerce Department wants tariffs
0:13:14 > 0:13:19of nearly 300% to remain.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22But the final decision has now shifted to the ITC and another UK
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Government tactic won't help.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Can Theresa May phoning Donald Trump stop this case?
0:13:28 > 0:13:29No.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32It is decided by an independent agency, the International Trade
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Commission, and there is literally nothing that Donald Trump
0:13:34 > 0:13:37can do to stop it.
0:13:37 > 0:13:44But if a US President can't stop it, could a European giant?
0:13:44 > 0:13:49Bombardier's chief exec celebrated as Airbus agreed to take a majority
0:13:49 > 0:13:52stake in the troubled C Series jet project.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Airbus plans to partner on the C Series and avoid tariffs
0:13:55 > 0:13:57by assembling the planes in America in two years' time.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59But the ITC is dealing with the here and now,
0:13:59 > 0:14:04it decides if Boeing was harmed.
0:14:04 > 0:14:12That's the decision that is pending right now and in front of the ITC.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15They will make that determination.
0:14:15 > 0:14:16Regardless of the Airbus deal?
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Regardless of the Airbus deal.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20So it's bad news for Bombardier on three fronts -
0:14:20 > 0:14:23the Airbus deal may not get round the tariffs, the political
0:14:23 > 0:14:25lobbying of Trump and others can't stop the case
0:14:25 > 0:14:27and because the repayable loan isn't necessarily repayable it gives
0:14:27 > 0:14:32Boeing a strong argument for imposing tariffs.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34The painful irony is that the money that helped
0:14:34 > 0:14:35bring those C Series jobs
0:14:35 > 0:14:43to Belfast could now spell disaster for the entire operation.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52At the final ITC hearing in December the UK Government stood accused
0:14:52 > 0:14:57of promoting unfair competition.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59So everything now hinges on the ITC and what they decide.
0:14:59 > 0:15:05They're holding a public hearing, and we're off there now.
0:15:06 > 0:15:07The room is packed to capacity.
0:15:07 > 0:15:13Trade disputes don't get any bigger than this.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15It doesn't work when foreign governments tilt the field
0:15:15 > 0:15:17for the benefit of the C series.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19A plane that wouldn't even exist were it not
0:15:19 > 0:15:22for government subsidies.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25The Boeing boss highlights the tough action Canada has taken directly
0:15:25 > 0:15:27in reponse to the case.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31Last week, Canada cancelled a $5 billion
0:15:31 > 0:15:34order for Boeing fighter jets just because we brought this case.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38But, unlike Canada, the UK has not taken tough action against Boeing
0:15:38 > 0:15:41and hasn't cancelled contracts.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44The UK ambassador, Sir Kim Darroch, instead argues that
0:15:44 > 0:15:50Boeing, not Bombardier, is the one receiving handouts.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55Boeing argue that they are attacking bad subsidies including a UK
0:15:55 > 0:15:59government loan for the development of wings in Northern Ireland.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Yet Boeing itself enjoys billions of dollars of US
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Government subsidies.
0:16:03 > 0:16:11But, fair or not, US subsidies aren't under scrutiny.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20In the US, most legal papers are publicly available,
0:16:20 > 0:16:24So, I want to take a deeper dive and find out exactly what the UK
0:16:24 > 0:16:32government has done.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36The key submissions to the ITC are lengthy and detailed,
0:16:36 > 0:16:37well - most of them.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39This is Bombardier's latest submission to the ITC -
0:16:39 > 0:16:40its pre-hearing brief.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43It's almost 800 pages, and it's quite heavy.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48This is the Canadian government's - more than 170 pages here.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53And this is what the UK Government submitted.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56With 4,000 jobs at stake, there's four pages of argument.
0:16:56 > 0:17:02As they say here, you do the math.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Unlike at the ITC, there were 7000 pages submitted to the Commerce
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Department, where the UK lost the argument against tariffs.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11In documents there, I found bizarre excuses from UK
0:17:11 > 0:17:12officials for late replies.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Like this one.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18It says that the Department for International Trade
0:17:18 > 0:17:21is a new department moving into a new building and that it
0:17:21 > 0:17:24hasn't unpacked all of its files.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26A month later, the UK Government's legal team writes again
0:17:26 > 0:17:29asking for more time.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34This time, the lawyers tell the US Commerce Department that they can't
0:17:34 > 0:17:37meet the deadline because Northern Ireland civil
0:17:37 > 0:17:40servants are on holiday because of the Twelfth Fortnight.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45And there's a strange phrase that keeps cropping up.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49It first appears in this letter of the 26th of May but it's
0:17:49 > 0:17:51in almost every piece of UK Government correspondence.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53"The British government does not consider itself a legally proper
0:17:53 > 0:17:57party to this matter."
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Time and again, in black and white, the Government seems to be saying
0:18:00 > 0:18:08this case is nothing to do with them.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14So, what does former ITC judge Jennifer Hillman make of this?
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Is it unfair to compare 175 pages from the Government of Canada
0:18:17 > 0:18:19with four pages from the UK Government?
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Well, it is clear that the UK Government has
0:18:21 > 0:18:24not come in full force, certainly not at the
0:18:24 > 0:18:26International Trade Commission?
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Is it good enough to state we are not part of this?
0:18:29 > 0:18:30No.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Any questions that you leave unanswered, the presumption will be
0:18:34 > 0:18:37that the reason you didn't answer them is it is bad news.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40And what about those excuses for late responses offered
0:18:40 > 0:18:42by the UK, the unopened boxes - the 12th Fortnight?
0:18:42 > 0:18:48All of the deadlines are literally carved into the statute,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51so the deadlines are very real, they are absolutely set by the law
0:18:51 > 0:18:59and are simply never missed.
0:19:00 > 0:19:07Home time for workers in Washington.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Can the Bombardier workers dare to hope their dreams won't end here?
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Could the ITC still vote no to tariffs and save the day?
0:19:13 > 0:19:17Jennifer Hillman says they could.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20The ITC at this point is absolutely critical and there is a good chance
0:19:20 > 0:19:24that the ITC could vote no.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Historically, 60% of the cases go no.
0:19:26 > 0:19:34In which case, the case stops.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Before I left Washington, I called Gaye.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Hello, Jim.
0:19:42 > 0:19:43Hi, Gaye.
0:19:43 > 0:19:44How are you?
0:19:44 > 0:19:45I'm very well.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Thank you.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52To reveal that the repayable loan was being treated as a subsidy.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Well, what are your thoughts?
0:19:54 > 0:19:55That is a surprise.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Oh, that is the first time I have heard that.
0:19:58 > 0:20:06But i did reasure her that there was still hope with the ITC.
0:20:09 > 0:20:15Bombardier is based in East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson's constituency.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18His vote at Westminster, and that of his DUP colleagues,
0:20:18 > 0:20:19keeps the Government in power.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22I wanted to know if he was fully aware of how
0:20:22 > 0:20:23the Government had behaved.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27It turned out, he wasn't.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30You did at the time back in October call on both
0:20:30 > 0:20:33the Canadians and the UK Government to up their game.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36I have some documents here I can show you.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38This is the Canadian submission to the International Trade Commission.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Have you seen that at all?
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Literally, you can feel the weight perhaps of their argument there.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46That's what the Canadian Government submitted.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51But let me just show you what the UK Government submitted to the ITC.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Do you notice a difference there?
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Well, there's a clear difference in volume but this is a dispute
0:20:58 > 0:21:01between a Canadian company and a United States company.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05But are you happy that, for 4 000 jobs, the UK
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Government's submission to the ITC was effectively
0:21:07 > 0:21:09four pages of argument?
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Well, I don't think that's a fair way to summarise it.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15This is a Canadian company.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18This is a Canadian aircraft.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20So, leave it up to Canada to sort this out?
0:21:20 > 0:21:21No.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23You're supposed to have clout with the Government.
0:21:23 > 0:21:30What have they done in this case to protect those jobs?
0:21:30 > 0:21:33I think, Jim, you are in danger of trivialising what has been
0:21:33 > 0:21:35going on over the last number of months.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38No, I'm not the...
0:21:38 > 0:21:40I didn't submit the four pages that government have submitted,
0:21:40 > 0:21:48four pages of argument.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57So, the question is who is trivialising this?
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Who has treated it seriously and submittedm you knowm
0:21:59 > 0:22:01170-plus pages of argument, or who has
0:22:01 > 0:22:02perhaps not treated it seriously and submitted
0:22:02 > 0:22:03four pages of argument?
0:22:03 > 0:22:05But I think, to focus on that submission
0:22:05 > 0:22:07is to do a huge disservice.
0:22:07 > 0:22:08Gavin Robinson is also a qualified barrister.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10I thought maybe the Government might have briefed him
0:22:10 > 0:22:11on their legal strategy.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13They hadn't.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15We interviewed an expert in the United States, who was a judge
0:22:15 > 0:22:19at the ITC for nine years, and her view having looked at the UK
0:22:19 > 0:22:21submissions was that it hadn't come in full force.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26In fact, the UK Government argued that it's not legally proper party
0:22:26 > 0:22:28to the dispute and it almost seemed to be suggesting the dispute had
0:22:28 > 0:22:29nothing to do with them.
0:22:29 > 0:22:35Were you aware that that was the legal argument they were taking?
0:22:35 > 0:22:36No.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38I'll be very interested then if you've got that information
0:22:38 > 0:22:40then please share it with me.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42From my perspective, all of this very useful for me
0:22:42 > 0:22:45to take back and to make sure that what we do
0:22:45 > 0:22:48and what we engage in on behalf of Bombardier in making sure
0:22:48 > 0:22:50that we can stand up for the company's successfully
0:22:50 > 0:22:51is to have this sort of information.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53So, belatedly.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55It is publicly available, if you know where to find it.
0:22:55 > 0:22:56Belatedly.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Thank you for sharing it with me.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00The Government's case to the ITC doesn't appear convincing -
0:23:00 > 0:23:01even to themselves.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Earlier this month, the Aerospace Minister said he expected
0:23:04 > 0:23:07to lose at the ITC.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09My expectation is that things will not be very different
0:23:09 > 0:23:12from what's already been determined.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16So, the Government has put together a case it expects to lose.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19And, it appears to have kept its DUP partners in the dark.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21That's bad enough.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23But has parliament also been misled?
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Remember this exchange.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31Labour asks what evidence the Governement has submitted.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34What attempts have the Government made thus far to provide evidence
0:23:34 > 0:23:36to the US independent Trade Commission?
0:23:36 > 0:23:39In terms of submitting evidence to the Trade Commission
0:23:39 > 0:23:46in the United States, this has indeed been provided.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48But evidence from the Government, all four pages of it,
0:23:48 > 0:23:54wasn't submitted to the Trade Commission until December.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Two months after the Minister appeared to tell MPs
0:23:56 > 0:23:59that it had been done.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Misleading the House can be a sackable offence.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Labour's Owen Smith believes the Prime Minister should take
0:24:04 > 0:24:10action if Greg Clark can't explain himself.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14I think Mr Clark will have been seen to have misled the House at that
0:24:14 > 0:24:17juncture and I think Theresa May will need to address that
0:24:17 > 0:24:19So, how does the minister explain himself?
0:24:19 > 0:24:22I'm off to find out.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Why did you say that you had submitted evidence
0:24:24 > 0:24:27to the Trade Commission when you hadn't?
0:24:27 > 0:24:32The question in the House of Commons was whether the ITC -
0:24:32 > 0:24:39that's the Trade Commission - had received evidence.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41That was submitted to the ITC, I think in May,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43By whom?
0:24:43 > 0:24:46That was submitted by Bombardier during the periods
0:24:46 > 0:24:49that it was required to be.
0:24:49 > 0:24:57But the question to you was what had the Government
0:25:11 > 0:25:13submitted to the ITC and you said that on
0:25:13 > 0:25:14submission the evidence had
0:25:14 > 0:25:16been provided to the ITC.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Why would your Shadow Minister question you as to
0:25:18 > 0:25:19what Bombardier had submitted?
0:25:19 > 0:25:21They were surely asking you what the Government had
0:25:21 > 0:25:23submitted and you said that evidence has indeed been provided,
0:25:23 > 0:25:24is that not misleading?
0:25:24 > 0:25:25No.
0:25:25 > 0:25:26It was completely right.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28It had been provided through all of this.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31But if the minister doesn't believe he misled parliament.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Does he believe the four-page ITC submission is sufficient?
0:25:33 > 0:25:35When you did submit evidence as a government,
0:25:35 > 0:25:36it was four pages long.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Did a lot of work go into that?
0:25:38 > 0:25:40The evidence that we submitted was actually
0:25:40 > 0:25:41over 7,000 pages.
0:25:41 > 0:25:42Not to the ITC.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Those 7,000 pages went to the Commerce Department,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47where the Government first tried the argument that they
0:25:47 > 0:25:50weren't a legal party.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52There are no planes that are exported from Belfast,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54to the United States.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55That is clear.
0:25:55 > 0:26:01So, the trade dispute is between Canada and the United States.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04But the UK argument failed to persuade the Commerce
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Department against tariffs.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09So, will it also lose out at the ITC?
0:26:09 > 0:26:12We interviewed a former ITC judge and they said it was clear
0:26:12 > 0:26:14that the UK Government hadn't come in full force at the ITC.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Quite the reverse.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Right from the outset, we have worked vigorously.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Personally, I have never seen such a high level -
0:26:20 > 0:26:23consistent level - of engagement.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26I would have thought that everyone in the UK and everyone
0:26:26 > 0:26:29in Northern Ireland would want and expect the UK Government and UK
0:26:29 > 0:26:35ministers to leave no stone unturned.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38They would, but you say no stone unturned,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42four pages looks like no effort expended.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44No, this is...
0:26:44 > 0:26:47I think you are referring to the final ITC, where it is looking
0:26:47 > 0:26:51at the detriment to Boeing.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53It is not about, it is not asking questions as to
0:26:53 > 0:26:56what the UK's involvement in that.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59So, the Business Secretary rejects the charge that the Government
0:26:59 > 0:27:00didn't come in full force.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05Labour's Owen Smith took a different view when shown the ITC submission.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09What are your thoughts?
0:27:09 > 0:27:10That's all?
0:27:10 > 0:27:12The evidence you have provided today seems to bear out
0:27:12 > 0:27:15that they have been more concerned with the optics of looking
0:27:15 > 0:27:18to be doing a good job, defending jobs here in Belfast,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20rather than doing so.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24If this government is prepared to stand by and see Trump put
0:27:24 > 0:27:27America first, but Theresa May not put Britain first, not put UK jobs
0:27:27 > 0:27:30first, then I think legitimate questions will be asked
0:27:30 > 0:27:34about their fitness to remain in government.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Crucially, how does this play with the DUP, who keep
0:27:36 > 0:27:40the government in power?
0:27:40 > 0:27:43If you feel that you have perhaps been led up the garden path
0:27:43 > 0:27:46does that damage the relationship between the DUP and the Government?
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Well, our relationship is very clear and it's very public and it's
0:27:49 > 0:27:50on very particular things.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52So, the Government can do whatever they want
0:27:52 > 0:27:54on Bombardier and you will have to keep supporting them?
0:27:54 > 0:27:55No, that's not the case.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57There will be many opportunities when given
0:27:57 > 0:27:58the position that we have.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01They will find that our support could have been quite
0:28:01 > 0:28:03useful and it may not have been there.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Let's take account of the information that
0:28:07 > 0:28:12you're sharing and let's see where that takes me.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15I share the full picture of government activity -
0:28:15 > 0:28:16or inactivity - with Gaye.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Has it been no stone unturned when you look at some
0:28:18 > 0:28:24of the documents there?
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Well, it doesn't look very good.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29It's disappointing when you see that they only submitted four pages.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33It is disappointing.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35We're not trying to overhype the threat here
0:28:35 > 0:28:37but it is a real threat.
0:28:37 > 0:28:38100% it's a real threat.
0:28:38 > 0:28:39Definitely.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41And anybody who doesn't think like that is very, very wrong.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45It's 100% a real threat to all the jobs within Belfast.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48On Friday, the ITC will make its final decision.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50The future of Bombardier and its workers in Belfast
0:28:50 > 0:28:54hangs in the balance.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58The Government promised them and the DUP no stone unturned.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01The question is, has that pledge been honoured?
0:29:01 > 0:29:03Meanwhile in the US, there's no question where
0:29:03 > 0:29:10political support lies.
0:29:10 > 0:29:18May God bless the United States of America and
0:29:21 > 0:29:27God bless Boeing.