Mail Weekly Column: 20 02 2021
This week has been dominated by one issue - the fall out from GSK’s decision to sell its antibiotics business and put at risk 130 jobs and the legacy of community involvement stretching back almost 75 years.
It is no exaggeration to call this a betrayal. In 2012 it was announced by GSK that 1,000 jobs would be created in Ulverston. We now face the prospect of there being not a single one by 2025. I shall return to this at the end of this column.
On Monday the Northern Research Group of MPs, of which I'm a member, launched the first of what will be a portfolio of reports. As a group of Northern MPs, we are pushing for areas like Furness to get the recognition, support and tools it needs to achieve its full potential. This report, written by our Chair, Jake Berry MP, outlined exactly what levers the Treasury should be considering to stimulate investment and create a globally recognised, economic powerhouse in the North of England.
I am already working with Northern Research Group colleagues on the second of these reports, this time looking at the social fabric of our communities and the ties that bind us together.
Investing in infrastructure is all well and good (and I will always fight for more investment in Barrow & Furness!) but without a strong social infrastructure, we are unlikely to see the full potential of that investment unlocked.
Speaking to Ministers, I have begun to refer to this as the ‘whole person problem.’ If you live in Leeds and see a great job advertised in Barrow you might consider it - but you (and your family) will also consider the quality of life in an area, what it is like to raise a family there, and what kind of nightlife there is.
In short, improving a high street may create a few jobs, but without a thriving high street, getting people to stay in, and families to move to, a community like ours is a harder proposition. The same applies to schools, dentists, leisure venues, decent public transport, broadband and a whole host of other things.
One of the ways to turn this around is to create an environment where those who benefit from the skills and dedication of the community pay back into that same community and build a lasting legacy.
You only need to drive into Barrow to see first hand the philanthropy of the Victorian age, with the grand buildings on Abbey Road, leading down to Ramsden Square, and down Duke Street to the Town Hall.
Those who benefitted from Barrow’s newfound wealth planned for the town’s future and invested in it. It is my firm belief that we need to return to those values and create an environment where those who benefit from the skills and people in our communities show their appreciation by investing in and supporting those same communities.
Returning to the subject of GSK, this is why their actions feels like such a gross betrayal. For three quarters of a century our community has provided the raw resource that the company needed to grow and thrive: our people. Having been promised so much only for the rug to be ripped out from underneath us is galling.
But GSK can leave a lasting legacy for our community. They can give a contract to Lakes BioScience, run by ex-GSK leaders and based on land opposite the current site, and in doing so unlock £350million of private sector investment and secure 250 local jobs. Doing so will cost them very little indeed, but for our community it will mean so very much.
The GSK Taskforce met earlier this week under my chairmanship. From that meeting I am taking that argument to the Chancellor and Business Secretary. From the Town, District, and County Councils, through to Parliament we are speaking with one voice - we expect GSK to step up and leave a meaningful legacy for our community.
Next Tuesday I am holding a virtual town hall meeting on GSK’s announcement and the next steps for our community. If you would like to join, drop me an email: simon.fell.mp@parliament.uk
