Campaigners Launch Online Petition Urging Technical Fibre Products/James Cropper PLC of Burneside to Withdraw from Contract to Provide Materials for F35 War Planes Attacking Gaza

South Lakeland and Lancaster Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) has launched an online petition calling on Technical Fibre Products/James Cropper PLC to withdraw from their contract to produce materials for the Lockheed Martin F35 Lightning II military aircraft, dozens of which are currently employed by the Israeli Defence Force in their war on Gaza.

Spokesperson, Philip Gilligan said

“Technical Fibre Products (TFP) declared as recently as 12th February 2024, in their own promotional material, that they ‘produce nonwoven solutions for a number of cutting edge military aircraft and vehicles, including the F35’. We, therefore, trust that residents, workers and civil society organisations in Westmorland and Furness will join us in urging the company to immediately halt their involvement in the F35 project, especially in the context of the International Court of Justice ruling of plausible genocide by Israel against Palestinians in the Gaza strip. At least 30,000 people, including more than 10,000 children, have been killed in Gaza in the last 5 months, 1.7 million people have been displaced, and 70% of residential buildings in Gaza have been destroyed. The use of military aircraft, such as the F35, has been at the centre of this destruction and killing. The Cropper family and industry have a long and celebrated history in South Lakeland, providing employment, caring for the natural environment, and supporting community organisations and charitable initiatives across the district. We feel that the continued involvement of TFP/James Cropper PLC in the F35 project is in tension with this legacy, and urge Chairman Mark Cropper to initiate the relevant processes that would facilitate a termination of this contract. Over the past few weeks, several people have contacted TFP directly, asking questions about their supply of materials for F35s, but to date, TFP have not responded.”

“At the same time, in the context of the International Court of Justice’s order relating to the case of the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v Israel), published on 26 January 2024, our petition also calls call on our elected representatives on Westmorland and Furness Council to initiate a debate on the implications for South Lakeland industries of involvement in the potential genocide in Gaza, and on Tim Farron MP to ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will review TFP’s licence to produce materials for the F-35.”, he added.