Sarah Champion MP to Call on Government to Defend Jobs at Rolls-Royce in Rotherham

Sarah Champion MP, Member of Parliament for Rotherham, will call on the Government to defend jobs at Rolls-Royce in Rotherham. 75 workers at Rolls-Royce are facing redundancy, a third of the facility’s work force. The job losses are part of more than 3,000 across the UK and 9,000 globally.

Speaking during a debate on this year’s budget, Sarah will say:

“While it is welcome that the Government has taken some steps to protect jobs in the short term, the reality for many is that they face losing jobs that, prior to this crisis, were stable and secure…These are well paid, highly skilled jobs and their loss would have a devastating impact upon the town.”

Sarah will also highlight the potential impact of the job losses on the Advanced Manufacturing Park, where Rolls-Royce is based, saying:

“The Park is a world class base for innovation, research, and manufacturing, and the jewel in the crown of Rotherham’s local economy. The Government is more than happy to use it as a backdrop for policy announcements. What it must do now is defend its long-term future.”

Sarah will warn the Government of the long-term economic damage to Britain of failing to protect high-end engineering jobs, saying:

“The Government should view these commitments as an investment for future prosperity. As the Chancellor himself acknowledged, “Business investment creates jobs, lifts growth, spurs innovation and drives productivity.”… I agree, but their rhetoric on levelling up the North will ring hollow if they stand idly by whilst dedicated, highly skilled workers lose their jobs.”

Commenting on her speech on the need for Government action, Sarah contrasted the Government’s rhetoric on ‘levelling up’ the British economy with the reality for her constituents, saying:

“The Tory Government has consistently claimed to be levelling up the economy, particularly in the North of England. But those claims will ring hollow to my constituents, who instead of investment are seeing the Government stand idly by whilst well paid, skilled jobs are lost. The success of the Advanced Manufacturing Park has taken years to develop. Without support now, that progress could be undone at a stroke.’

‘The Government cannot allow hard-working people to bear the brunt of this pandemic. It must step in now to defend jobs and businesses that will be key components of Britain’s economic recovery.”