Brush jobs threat is a crisis for our economy

THE jobs threat at the Brush is a crisis for Loughborough’s economy and families in our area. Every effort must be made to ensure the best possible outcome for those concerned.

I know that Unite the Union will be working day and night to fight for the 270 workers’ futures.

I also know that union members at the Brush previously pushed for investment in technologies that would have allowed Brush to compete in new power generation markets.

From those familiar with the matter, I am informed that an approach was made to the management at Brush around seven years ago with a proposal for it to move Loughborough’s turbo-generator opera- tion into renewable power markets. It was the trade union who was behind this approach, and it was the management and ownership who rejected it. Given that the Climate Change Act 2008 (which had cross party support), and other legislation from around that time, had set us on a path towards renewables, it was clear to everybody that the power generation market was changing.

It is inaccurate to suggest, as a letter from a local Conservative councillor on your pages did recently, that Unite’s sensible policy of recognising the need for action on energy security and climate change was a contributory factor to any possible job losses. Rath- er, it was the union who pushed for a more secure future for the plant in the new low-carbon econo-my.

We must ensure that Loughborough’s economy continues to retain its energy generation expertise. We have a worldclass university with the internationally renowned Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology, which ought to drive local economic growth in this area.

But it’s clear that the we need more enlightened long-term investment to make this happen. Under Labour’s economic plan, with a national investment bank and regional development banks, this kind of long term support for good, well-paid local jobs will be provided.

Stuart Brady, Labour’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Loughborough.