THE loss of the Airbus site in Broughton would put the future of the region at stake, Chester’s MP has said.

Chris Matheson spoke out following news the aerospace giant may withdraw from the UK if the country leaves the single market and customs union with no transition agreement.

He told the Standard: “I’ve long warned of the catastrophic effects of Brexit nationally and locally here in Chester.

“But this sobering warning from Airbus should be a very stark wake-up call to anyone who still thinks Brexit is a good idea.

“The civil war in the Conservative Party is causing huge uncertainty for major businesses. The Government must now listen to Airbus and start to take seriously the views of businesses who, after all, are the ones who pay the bills in this country.”

He added: “There are 6,000 highly-skilled, highly-paid jobs at Airbus and many more in the supply chain, plus other leading aerospace companies on the Broughton site which rely on the critical mass of Airbus to survive.

“The very future of our region is at stake.”