We call on the Labour Government to award the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) contract to Leonardo

This Government has repeatedly failed to provide clarity on whether the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) contract will be awarded to Leonardo.

Since taking office, Adam Dance MP has been pressing the Government for a clear answer on whether Leonardo will secure this vital contract. Time and again, those requests have gone unanswered. We were repeatedly told that the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) would be published last year and that it would provide these crucial answers. Yet, despite Adam speaking with several key ministers, we are still waiting.

As the fate of the contract hangs in the balance, so too does the future of thousands of workers. While families across the UK celebrated Christmas and the New Year, Leonardo employees were left in limbo, uncertain about whether their jobs would exist in the months ahead.

More than 3,000 skilled jobs are at stake, along with the wider Yeovil economy and that of the South West. Leonardo contributes £320 million to local GDP, including £1.2 million annually to Yeovil College to train and skill young people. The company is central to supply chains across the South West, supporting 2,400 supply companies (many of which are SMEs) and plays a critical role in our national defence infrastructure. Leonardo is the UK’s last end-to-end military helicopter manufacturer. Losing this capability would be catastrophic for our communities and damaging to national security.

Now is the time to stand up and take action. We must show the Government just how important Leonardo’s future is to our town, our region, and our country. Together, we must demand a clear and definitive answer: the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) contract should be awarded to Leonardo.

By signing this petition, you are sending a powerful message: Yeovil will not be ignored, and our voices will be heard.

We will not rest until we have clarity and a clear decision is made. Yeovil needs certainty, not more broken promises, and Adam Dance MP will keep pressing to protect jobs, skills, and our defence capability in Yeovil.