Jobs safeguarded at Ford in Essex (From Echo)
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Jobs safeguarded at Ford in Essex
7:52am Thursday 18th March 2010 in
JOBS in Essex have been safeguarded as car giant Ford announced plans to develop a new generation of environmentally friendly engines and vehicle technologies.
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)
RitchieHicks
says...
10:55am Thu 18 Mar 10
mister strides
says...
12:10pm Thu 18 Mar 10
Julian Ware-Lane
says...
1:37pm Thu 18 Mar 10
Julian Ware-Lane
says...
1:40pm Thu 18 Mar 10
EthanEdwards
says...
2:26pm Thu 18 Mar 10
Julian Ware-Lane wrote:Would that be the same Julian Ware-Lane who is a Parliamentary
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.
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.
micksmercs
says...
3:57pm Thu 18 Mar 10
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.
EthanEdwards
says...
4:50pm Thu 18 Mar 10
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.
westcliff willi
says...
5:53pm Thu 18 Mar 10
mister strides
says...
12:45pm Fri 19 Mar 10
'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!
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Voter99 says...
9:55am Thu 18 Mar 10