Yeovil Liberal Democrats
Thursday 17 November 2016
PRESS NOTICE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lord Ashdown reacts to news of GKN Plant Closure in Yeovil
Lord Ashdown has responded to the news that the GKN Plant in Yeovil is to close at the end of next year.
“Even if this news was expected by many, it is sad news and bad news for Yeovil and those affected especially just before Christmas. My heart goes out to them and their families. This is the inevitable consequence of the foolish decisions by this government to give the recent apache order to the United States without even a competitive tender.”
“It is vital now for the Yeovil site and for our communities future prosperity that the Government foes two things: firstly uses the tooling at GKN, which they own, as leverage to insist that this work stays on the Yeovil site and is not allowed to be exported to Italy or anywhere else. Secondly to make it explicitly clear in the forthcoming policy paper on Britain’s industrial strategy that the govern sees Yeovil’s capability to design and construct helicopters on the integrated site in Yeovil as an essential part of the nation’s industrial base.”
“I will continue to lobby pressure the government to do this, along with the local unions and I hope Yeovil’s Member of Parliament, if he is prepared to work with us.”
ENDS.
Note to editors:
- For further information, please contact Theo Whitaker – organiser@yeovil-libdems.org.uk / 07884145397