A NORTH-EAST MP has removed his name from an official parliamentary motion to support a £1bn train carriage contract for Derby instead of Newton Aycliffe in County Durham.
Alex Cunningham, MP for Stockton North, explained he simply didn’t realise Hitachi, due to open a factory in Newton Aycliffe, were bidding for the publicly-funded Crossrail contract to build 600 carriages.
He supported what he believed to be the only British firm bidding for the work, Bombadier in Derby, but took his name off the Early Day Motion as soon as he was alerted to the Hitachi bid.
He said: “I’m grateful to The Northern Echo for updating me on the bid. I’ve always championed jobs in the North-East region. I’d hate to do anything to compromise a bid from a North-East company.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here