CHANCELLOR George Osborne has said the government has ‘put its money where its mouth is’ to support one of Flintshire’s biggest employers.

During a Welsh Assembly campaign stop at the Airbus factory yesterday he said the government in Westminster has made specific improvements to Flintshire as the administration prepares to mark a year in power.

Speaking outside the firm’s Broughton site, he said: “There is the support for the various Airbus projects like the A350. There is the extension of broadband into the rural parts of North Wales which is vital to making sure rural parts of North Wales are connected to the economy.”

He added there is a strong base of economic stability here that can help grow businesses, large like Airbus, and also smaller businesses.

During the factory visit Mr Osborne met apprentices including Paul Brotherton from Chester and Maddi Hughes, who has been an apprentice at the factory for two years.

Maddi, of Wrexham, said: “It was really interesting and he seemed really nice. I was pleased to meet him and it is nice to speak to people who are interested in what we do.”

Mr Osbourne was accompanied during his tour by Conservative candidates for the Welsh Assembly.

He said: “We are very committed to the success of Airbus. I said we would be committed to the A350 and we delivered on that promise and we have just struck a deal on the A400M. We are prepared to put our money where our mouth is.

“The Welsh Conservatives in the Assembly are great supporters of Airbus as well. We understand it is not just the thousands of people who work here directly at Airbus, but the tens of thousands of people in North Wales and across the country who help supply Airbus. We are really committed to Airbus.”

Mr Osborne also said Welsh Conservatives were looking to help regenerate town centres in Flintshire with a policy to take businesses with a rateable value of below £12,000 out of business rates.

He said: “That will really help. I think that is a great policy to help Welsh smaller businesses in town centres in Flintshire and elsewhere.”