Independent:
Lord Hesketh quits Babcock over aircraft carrier comment
Lord Hesketh has resigned from his post as deputy chairman at engineering group Babcock International after branding the Royal Navy's aircraft carrier programme a "disaster".
Babcock, which is building the carriers at its shipyard in Rosyth, revealed he was stepping down with immediate effect following the comments in The Daily Telegraph. Lord Hesketh was reported in the newspaper saying the £5.2 billion carrier project would make Britain a "laughing stock" following defence cuts.
Last month's defence review revealed only one carrier would operate for three years and never carry planes, while the second would not carry aircraft until at least 2020.
Babcock issued a statement earlier today distancing itself from Lord Hesketh's comments. It said: "Babcock dissociates itself from these personal comments, which do not in any respect reflect the views of the company. Babcock with its partners in the Carrier Alliance is focused on delivering this major upgrade to the UK's defence capability on time and to budget."