ON Wednesday’s Channel 4 news, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson talked about the Vauxhall crisis, trying to justify the Government’s current position, and apparent inaction, given the role being taken by the German government in protecting the Opel brand.

He said there was a massive overcapacity in worldwide car making and that there would be casualties. As he spoke, I felt taken back in time to when the steel unions, shipyards and heavy engineering workers were fighting for their jobs – only then, the Government was in the midst of rationalisation to make our industries more efficient.

Is this Government’s inaction due to an inability to do anything, or simply an unwillingness to be a part of inevitable job-cutting measures and hoping all anger will be aimed at the Germans and the Americans?

At least the Germans are trying to save the industry. We need someone to step forward and take control: use Vauxhall as a leader into the next phase of development by putting money into producing vehicles powered by renewable energy and help save this country’s role in taking the world forward, along with our manufacturing jobs.

David Preston, Darlington