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Jobs safeguarded at Ford in Essex

JOBS in Essex have been safeguarded as car giant Ford announced plans to develop a new generation of environmentally friendly engines and vehicle technologies.

Lord Mandelson announced major budget cuts for universities Lord Mandelson

Ford's plans will safeguard about 2,800 skilled jobs in the UK at its research and development centre at Dunton as well as its manufacturing plants in Dagenham, Southampton and Bridgend in South Wales.

Ford and Nissan, which is to make a new electric car in Sunderland, will both receive Government support towards almost £2 billion investment.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson announced that the Government had agreed to back Ford's proposed £1.5 billion investment over five years.

The Government will provide £360 million in loan guarantees towards six projects through its Automotive Assistance Programme, backing a proposed loan of £450 million which is being considered by the European Investment Bank.

Ford currently provides 29 per cent of the UK's automotive sector research and development.

The projects to be supported cover research and development for Ford's commercial vehicles such as the Transit and Connect vans and the development of low carbon emission diesel and petrol engines.

Lord Mandelson, who will visit Ford's site in Dagenham today, said: "Ford is a major investor in research and development in the UK. Its proposals represent further significant investment in the UK. The Government stands ready and willing to support these innovative research and development projects backed by a highly skilled workforce.

"As part of the automotive industry, Ford has an important role to play in the UK's aim to be one of the leading manufacturers of low carbon vehicles."


Comments (10)

18/03/10

Voter99 says...

Like the Cadbury jobs that Mandelson is supposed to have protected?

18/03/10

RitchieHicks says...

Yep. Listening to the bod from Kraft on Radio 4 yesterday it was clearer than ever before that this government has no control over business whatsoever. Companies from home and abroad can walk all over the government and the people of this country and no body has the bottle to stand up to them. Whether it's labour or the Torys in power after the election, British manufacturing and construction jobs are screwed for at least the next 5-10 years.

18/03/10

mister strides says...

get a nice big lot of houses on that site

18/03/10

Julian Ware-Lane says...

This is good news for the Essex economy and good news for the Essex environment. Safeguarding jobs in the automotive is something that I am personally grateful for – I work at Dunton. That these jobs are to develop environmentally friendly engines is something my children and grandchildren will be grateful for.

18/03/10

Julian Ware-Lane says...

This is good news for the Essex economy and good news for the Essex environment. Safeguarding jobs in the automotive industry is something that I am personally grateful for – I work at Dunton. That these jobs are to develop environmentally friendly engines is something my children and grandchildren will be grateful for.

18/03/10

EthanEdwards says...

Julian Ware-Lane wrote:
This is good news for the Essex economy and good news for the Essex environment. Safeguarding jobs in the automotive industry is something that I am personally grateful for – I work at Dunton. That these jobs are to develop environmentally friendly engines is something my children and grandchildren will be grateful for.
Would that be the same Julian Ware-Lane who is a Parliamentary
Candidate for the Labour party?

Astro turfing grass roots support for the WORST EVER Government in living memory perhaps? Tut tut.

Lord M - was he enobled for his services to creative mortgage fraud? Or was it for creative accounting of his Euro Parliament millions?

Anyway who is he to be a minister when nobody voted for him. Nobody voted for Gordon McRuin as PM either. You had no mandate to bankrupt the country but you lot did it. Save the world possibly but beggered us didn't you.

In fact your party Julian didn't even win the popular vote in England did it. Just call an Election now and see how popular you lot are Julian.

18/03/10

micksmercs says...

Well said Ethan Edwards.
What a smug g1t mandelson is.
How on earth he got to get back to being anybody in government is just beyond belief.
How anyone could vote for the slack jawed jock brown and his cronies is be totally unbelievable.

18/03/10

EthanEdwards says...

Thanks Micksmercs. I forgot to mention that the last time a Labour Manifesto appeared it promised a EU referendum. Which Labour and their chums the Lib Dems promptly decided was merely a promise that they never ever, had any intention of keeping. It was purely to make us poor dumb bstards vote for them Given that. NOW why should we believe ANYTHING that you lot say do or promise in your manifesto.

Answer me this Julian, Are you Labour lot lying now or were you lying then or are you planning on lying to us in the future? You personally may very well be a decent bloke but your party is a nest of poisionous vipers that hate the British and are in the process of ruining a great nation. I'm referring to Labours planned social engineering in opening the floodgates of immigration. A little may very well be a good thing but you lot have been taking the proverbial and now it's all gone horribly wrong. Based on your diasterous performance you want us to re-elect you? What have you lot been smoking!

A worse government I cannot think of. Control freakery, database this, DNA that, wasting our tax money hand over fist. A NHS IT project that has now been cancelled cost us £26 BILLION for NOTHING. Billions wasted - pensions ruined. Your lot Julian are utterly awful.

I'm not too happy with how pro EU the Tories are either. Far too chummy IMO.
So this time Lib/Lab/con will get the elbow.

18/03/10

westcliff willi says...

taking all of that above (of which i agree) into consideration its still good news for essex

19/03/10

mister strides says...

is this a reversal of 'Ford Workers for Labour' which came out under Tony 'Lionel' Bliar's regime?

'Labour for Ford Workers' ?


As Jim Royle might say 'my arse!'

If this reassures anyone at Dunton they need to take the blinkers off their eyes.

Remember this is the government that sat back and watched Ford Motor Co run down production at Dagenham in order to send the jobs abroad and also the mob that are not doing half as much as they should be to help out the badly shafted Visteon/Ford pensioners!