New Astra Welcome in Ellesmere Port – MEP

May 8 2012 – to Liverpool and Cheshire newspapers

Reports that the next generation Vauxhall Astra is set to be manufactured at the Ellesmere Port plant is further good news for the North West car industry after the announced expansion of the Halewood Jaguar Land Rover plant last month.

It is also reassuring that General Motors have to come to their senses after it was speculated that the plant in Cheshire was to be mothballed after poor European sales figures.

GM appears to have been reminded that the 21st century car manufacturing industry in the UK is perhaps one the most productive and efficient in the world, attracting the likes of Nissan and JLR while Volkswagen owned Bentley are just down the road in Crewe.

More work however is needed in order to attract additional big employing manufacturing businesses back to the region if we are to provide our young school leavers with decent work opportunities.

Yours faithfully

Paul Nuttall MEP