Darlington and Stockton MPs vow fight to save Hitachi plant

Darlington's Lola McEvoy and Chris McDonald, member for Stockton North, have revealed they have been in high-level talks with Hitachi management and unions and are taking their concerns to Government.

They were speaking at the Northern Echo's BUSINESSIQ event today (Thursday, September 26) at Darlington's Cummins Engine Plant, where there was praise for the Echo's campaign to save the factory.

Chris McDonald. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) Mr McDonald assured delegates that the MPs are working together to bring Hitachi's plight to prominence in the "corridors of power" and emphasised that the issue is greater than simply "a gap in the order book."

He said: "Part of my job and Lola's job is to ensure the people we talk to understand that and to be that voice for North East industry in the corridors of power. There is commitment and passion there and we are working hard to make that information well known and well understood from Hitachi."

Ms McEvoy said: "We've met as local MPs with Hitachi and visited the plant and heard from business leaders there and we have taken the points they have raised to Government.

Lola McEvoy. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) "As MPs we are really keen to push as much as we can to make sure there is a sustainable future."

She had criticism of the previous Conservative Government's handling of the situation.

She added: "The key thing here is that this is avoidable and as much as some people don't want to hear about the last Government, this is an avoidable gap in orders.

"Had there been a decent industrial strategy we might not have been in this position.

"There is active negotiation going on with the Government and, as you all know being business leaders, these are sensitive so we won't be revealing anything in the press. But I would just say we are pushing and doing everything we can as local MPs and also meeting with Hitachi as much as we can."

Mr McDonald had praise for the Echo's campaign to keep the rail giant in County Durham.

The Hitachi factory in Newton Aycliffe. (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

He said: "The Echo ran a great campaign to get Hitachi here in the first place and it is running a great campaign now to keep the profile of Hitachi high.

"We are in close contact with senior management and the trade unions at Hitachi and Government."

He also had stinging criticism of the former Government's business strategy.

Mr McDonald said: "What is happening at Hitachi is exactly what happens when you don't have an industrial strategy, you have a crisis and a request for Government to intervene and that is generally a failure of your business plan.

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"It happened at Redcar in 2015, it happened at CF Fertilisers, it happened with Cleveland Bridge. If you have a proper industrial strategy that does not happen.

"When I went around the plant I was talking to aluminium welders there and to an apprentice who was painting one of the trains and these are really highly skilled jobs.

"They employ the only aluminium welders in the UK and, if you have a gap in your order book, those aluminium welders will find a job somewhere else and there is then nowhere else in the UK for Hitachi to recruit from.

"It is not just a case of ‘there is a gap in the order book we can lay some people off’, this is the reality of running a big industrial business."