Government Has Given Up Fight To Save Manufacturing - Holmes

12.19.27pm GMT Wed 12th Nov 2003

Paul Holmes MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Work

133,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in the last year, 34,000 of them lost in the last quarter, according to new ONS figures published today. Paul Holmes MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Work, said: "Claims of record employment levels cannot mask the continuing decline in the manufacturing sector."

"The Government has given up the fight to save manufacturing jobs. It's done nothing to help save the jobs and has left in the lurch the families dependent on those jobs to survive."

"Ministers must get to grips with the real economy of our towns and rural areas. Small scale factory closures have as detrimental an effect on the local community as the high-profile collapses that make news headlines."

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. ONS Labour Market Statistics 2003. The number of unemployed people rose by 12,000 over the quarter (July - Sept.).

2. 133,000 manufacturing jobs lost in the last year (34,000 of them in the last quarter).