I'm shocked at lack of support for local business

Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Redcar Ian Swales has responded to the news about lack of Government support for the local chemical industry.

He said: "I am shocked that the Government is doing so little to protect this country's vital strategic industries. Lord Mandelson's reply amounts to an insult when we're talking about such a big slice of the national economy. This is not just about jobs although that is absolutely vital for Teesside. It's also about security of supply for the important materials that our society needs. I worked at Wilton and Billingham for over 20 years. I can't believe that the Government would allow the chemical infrastructure here on Teesside to collapse.

"The suggestions from the industry looked very sensible and no less than companies will be getting elsewhere. With so much of our industry now foreign owned, companies will choose which plants to keep and where to invest based on many factors. A supportive political climate both locally and nationally is absolutely key.

"With its failure to back both our steel and chemical industries and failure to move Civil Service jobs here it looks as though the Government is quite content to see Teesside become an industrial wasteland with mass unemployment."