Minister: Daresbury is fantastic
AMINISTER heaped praise on ‘Warrington’ during a visit to Daresbury in Halton last week. Baroness Rona Fairhead, minister of state for trade and export promotion, visited Sci-Tech Daresbury last Wednesday following the launch of the Government’s export strategy.
It sets out how the Government aims to make Britain ‘a 21st century exporting superpower’ through better use of the overseas network, online tools and building an extensive business to business network.
The Government has stated its long-term ambition is to increase total exports, as a proportion of gross domestic product to 35%.
Ministers claim the plans will boost productivity wages and protect UK jobs.
Speaking at the ‘fantastic’ national science and innovation campus in Daresbury, Halton, Baroness Fair- head stated ‘Warrington’ can help ‘in many ways’.
She said: “We have been talking to businesses up and down the country, we have been talking to the Northern Powerhouse as a unit.
“When I come to somewhere like Daresbury and look at the capability on this site – in terms of med tech, in terms of big data, in terms of what is being done in terms of virtual reality and the technology side – I have quite a lot of confidence that we have the goods and services that the outside wants.
“Firstly, we will be more joined up as a Government so the people of Warrington, who are part of the Northern Powerhouse, can show us that way.”
And she dismissed suggestions that the Government favours the South over the North, insisting it is ‘absolutely’ committed to the North.
She added: “I am a child of the North – I was born in the North West and grew up in the North East.
“I think there is real commitment ● because I think there is a sense that, if I look at something like technology and tech city, it started off as very much a London-based cluster, now it is tech nation.
“So, there is much more of a drive to say the whole of the UK needs to benefit from the technology.”
Baroness Fairhead also threw her support behind under-fire Prime Minister Mrs May, answering ‘yes’ when questioned on whether she is the right person to be leading the Conservatives.