I’ve had a busy week working on my top priority – pushing for more well-paid jobs for our area. I want Aycliffe Business Park, NETpark in Sedgefield and our other employment areas to be thriving, with growing numbers of jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities. And it’s not only the number of jobs we need to promote – I want to see more well-paid, skilled roles in the industries of the future – like high-tech manufacturing.
I spent a day at NETpark in Sedgefield meeting a number of the innovative companies there. It makes me so proud to represent our area when I see firsthand the incredible work going on. Pragmatic make semi-conductor chips that are used in health, defence and all aspects of our daily life. Their ambition is to have their chips in a trillion items – amazing for a company based down the road. And, as well as creating jobs in Sedgefield, Pragmatic and other companies at NETpark support thousands of jobs in the local supply chain, including in Newton Aycliffe.
I also met Kromek, a very impressive company I’ve met before. The chemical and radiation detectors they make in Sedgefield are used in Ukraine to help protect civilians and Ukrainian forces. And such is their global reputation that they’ve supplied NASA, the American Defence Department and the New York Police Department. These are the sorts of firms, employing engineers and skilled manufacturing workers, that I want to champion and see grow. I’ll also be working with these businesses and those across the constituency to expand their engagement with local young people. It’s really important that young people growing up in our area are aware of the world-class employment opportunities available right here.
I discussed with business leaders how, as our new Member of Parliament, I can best work with the new government, new North East mayor and councils to grow our local economy. There were lots of great ideas, which I’ve already started picking up with Labour ministers in Westminster. And I’ve committed to organising meetings and events to promote our area nationally, to help secure more jobs and investment.
My top priority on jobs remains Hitachi. I was pleased to secure an early meeting with the new chair of the Transport Select Committee, Parliament’s committee responsible for scrutinising the government’s work on transport issues. I also met Hitachi in Parliament to hear the latest on the ongoing negotiations between the firm and Department of Transport officials. I was reassured that since the new government took office, negotiations have been cracking on at pace. I’m keeping a close eye on the progress being made and continue to push for the mess, left behind by the last government, to be sorted.
I knocked on thousands of doors during the two years I was our local Labour candidate. I promised that, if elected, I’d continue to be out and about regularly, knocking on doors, chatting to residents and picking up local issues. It was great to be out on doorsteps the other day, despite the weather! I’ll be out talking to residents across our constituency on a regular basis so I’ll hopefully, meet many Newtonians soon. As ever, if you have an issue I can help with or would like to book a slot at one of my surgeries, please do contact me on email:
alan.strickland.mp@parliament.uk