Jeremy Corbyn speaks out on visit to Teesside
Reporter JEREMY Corbyn has urged the Government to invest heavily in Teesside to put right their mistake of allowing Redcar’s SSI to close.
On a visit to Teesside yesterday, the Labour Party leader insisted the steel plant did not need to close, but was allowed to.
He said: “What I’d urge the Government to do is first of all admit they made a terrible mistake in the failure to support in the first place – that steelworks did not need to close. They allowed it to.
“It has gone, therefore there’s a big site there that needs to be the basis of investment for the future.
“I’d want the Government to be investing in the site, to build the enterprises that need to be put there – businesses, manufacturing and others – and support training opportunities for the area.
“They have not put enough money into it and Anna Turley is absolutely right and I am very pleased she is raising it in Parliament next week.”
Mr Corbyn also fears for the future of Wearside’s Nissan car plant if the Government continues on its current course in the Brexit negotiations.
He added: “If Brexit goes ahead with the lack of any protections this Tory Government is in danger of putting there, the jobs threat is enormous, because if Nissan can’t trade outside then quite clearly there is a threat there.
“We will hold the Government to account, we’ll vote against their proposals unless they pass our six tests, which include protection of jobs and the right to invest in all these areas, which we are keen to do in the North East.”
Mr Corbyn was joined by Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate Lauren Dingsdale, Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald and Redcar and Cleveland Council leader Sue Jeffrey in Saltburn. The Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency Ms Dingsdale will contest at the next election voted strongly for Brexit.
Mr Corbyn said he recognised why people had voted as they did in the EU referendum.
He explained: “The reasons were their communities being left behind, there’s been a lack of investment, a lack of support for those areas and we are determined to have a government that will invest in all parts of Britain – but will have a serious trade relationship with Europe, which includes a Customs Union and access to the markets.”
During his visit, Mr Corbyn laid a bunch of flowers on a memorial bench in remembrance of the area’s former MP Ashok Kumar, who died in 2010.
After paying tribute to Dr Kumar, Mr Corbyn visited the Saltburn Cliff Lift and took a ride to the town’s pier.
He then took a walk – with some fish and chips – down the pier.
Mr Corbyn said he had sympathy for travellers in the region who again had to contend with revised timetables yesterday as