Call for council support

THE proposed redundancies at White Lund and Forbo are a serious blow to the local economy. While the strong pound has not helped matters, the most significant factor in the firm's difficulties is the collapse of the Far Eastern Markets, something the British Government could do nothing about. What the Government can do for this district is to restore assisted area status which the previous Government withdrew. In fact, Lancaster's former Conservative MP refused point blank to ask for its restoration. Thank goodness we have two Labour MPs in the district who are prepared to press the case, which the city council is making and for which it deserves congratulations. This is not only an area of high unemployment, it is also a low wage economy, a fact which gives the lie to those who claim that decent wages cause high unemployment. If we get assisted area status and the grants which follow to bring jobs to the area, the effect on the whole of the local economic scene will be tremendous. I expect therefore that the Chamber of Commerce and the Independent retailers will be backing the MPs and the city council wholeheartedly.