Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged to keep up pressure on the Government to save Hitachi’s County Durham factory from the prospect of becoming a “wreckage”.
Ms Reeves was speaking yesterday (Wednesday, April 10) as she and a delegation of Labour politicians visited the Hitachi plant in Newton Aycliffe, which faces a crisis over its order book, with “real anxiety” among workers over their futures.
Pressure has been mounting on the Government to act, led by The Northern Echo which campaigned to bring the plant to the region in the first place.
Ms Reeves said: “It is inconceivable that we don’t have train production in the future here at Newton Aycliffe.
“I am determined to do everything in my power to ensure that the last nine to ten years have not been for nothing.
“People have worked really hard - (former Sedgefield MP) Phil Wilson, The Northern Echo and the business community - to get this investment here. And the idea that 200th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway celebrations could see the closing of the train factory here is unimaginable.”
Concerns have been growing since Hitachi bosses revealed last month they had failed to reach an agreement with the Government to keep their order books full. The factory keeps 750 people in work on-site, alongside another 1,400 jobs indirectly.
The factory, which opened in 2015, is making its final trains for Avanti West Coast and East Midlands Railway. Ministers told Hitachi they had no plans to order more trains to run on the West Coast mainline, which the firm saw as the only viable way to plug the production gap.
Ms Reeves, said: “Labour are not in power today and so I’m not the decision maker.
“But working with Keir Starmer and our Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, we will be putting pressure on the government to do the right thing.
“And that means exercising the option to bring forward the additional trains and that can be done as Louise described, ‘with the stroke of a pen’.
“The Government could also bring forward new procurement for other lines and the third thing that is necessary is for the Government to give more confidence about the HS2 contract.”
She added: “I hope to be a decision maker later this year and to be Chancellor of Exchequer in a Labour government - and then I would then practising what I’m preaching to the Government.
“I hope it’s not too late because we don't know when the election is. I had hoped to have an election on May 2, where instead of asking questions to ministers, I would be one of the ministers.
“So when the election comes I hope we will still be able to salvage something from the wreckage the Government have created and secure a long-term future for Hitachi.
"Because I know how important it is to the regional economy and to the people that work here and also the investment that has gone in both from the company and from the government and local community.”
Ms Reeves - who was joined yesterday (Wednesday) by the Labour candidate for Newton Aycliffe & Spennymoor, Alan Strickland, Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, Kim McGuinness, Labour candidate for North East Mayor, and former Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson - said she had found a “huge anxiety and worry” among workers over the future of the plant.
“I have met people in their 30s and 40s, who want to work here till they retire and now that’s in doubt, " she said.
“A lot is at stake for people here both for their jobs and the impact it has on the community.”
Ms Reeves said Rishi Sunak was right to hold up Hitachi as a "fantastic example of world-class manufacturing", adding: “But he now needs to practice what he preaches and actually deliver, because it is in their hands now.
“It is the Government that is the ultimate purchaser of trains. All of the work here is ultimately underwritten by the Government, so there’s only one person now who can sort out this fiasco and that is the Prime Minister.
"And he represents a constituency not far from here. He knows how important the site is. He's seen the skilled workers, he’s met the management and the people who work here and now it’s in his hands of whether there’s a bright future – and I know there can be.
“I am determined there is a bright future here – so much work was put into getting this investment here. I am not willing to give it up.”
Sedgefield MP Paul Howell said: “It’s disappointing Labour continue to play politics.
“If the West Coast contract could have been brought forward it would have been and I know Government is already pursuing any and all opportunities for other contracts.
“Implying something could be done at the stroke of a pen is misleading everyone.
“I will continue to work with all parties to look at all options and I know the Secretary of State and DfT are fully supportive and engaged.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “These comments are completely inaccurate and, as the Transport Secretary outlined in his letter on this subject, don't accurately reflect the complexity of the process.
“Rail manufacturing plays an important role in growing the UK economy, supporting British jobs, and delivering better services for passengers.
"The Government is committed to supporting the entire sector and is working with all rolling stock manufacturers, including Hitachi, on the future pipeline of orders which we expect to remain strong in the coming years.
"More recently, new long distance trains have been procured on LNER and the tender process for new trains on TransPennine Express is live for all manufacturers to bid for."
Recommended reading:
-
Former Transport Secretaries call on PM to help save Hitachi
-
Hitachi Aycliffe closure was 'inevitable' says former worker
-
Rishi Sunak sympathises with 'anxious' Newton Aycliffe Hitachi
A Hitachi Rail spokesperson said: “The North East skills base and supply chain we have built has delivered social value and levelling-up. Maintaining these benefits is in the national interest.
Despite the lack of certainty, we remain committed to working with all stakeholders to find a viable way forward for our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe.
Preserving regional skills and supply chain will allow us to be competitive in future procurements and support British economic growth.”
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 hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel