I expressed my dismay back in February about how both the National and Welsh governments were neglecting the impact of their “Green Agenda” on the lives and jobs of hard-working people in Britain.
The bans on plastic bags and wet wipes containing plastic, implemented by the Welsh Government in 2022, were radical and fulfilled a purpose on the high streets with the waste of one-use plastic bags, but the UK Government in April 2024 further overreached this objective, and have put the Flint manufacturing organisation “Kimberley Clark” in a difficult position.
This, coupled with the lack of support for Port Talbot, one of our leading steel industries, will be a catastrophic loss for South Wales. It will not only affect the 3,200 direct jobs but also have a widespread impact on many suppliers. If we lose our “Prestige Steel” industry, we will have to rely on imported steel, which raises questions about our carbon footprint.
How will we continue defending our shores and building our ships, tanks, weapons, cars, and vans without a local steel industry? Also, have they considered how we manufacture the steel for their turbines to support this Green agenda and casing and array units for solar if we do not have a plant in the UK?
Have we not learned from the massive redundancy experienced in Deeside 44 years ago, how it decimated the area, and how it still shows the scars today?
This week, the news about Kimberly Clark shutting down despite past government investments is another blow to the industry, causing the loss of over 200 jobs and supply chains.
“Kimberly Clark is shutting down after 34 years since its construction in 1991.”
Did it not receive in 2003 £40 million investment supported both by the Welsh and UK governments towards the Huggies baby wipes lines, and a further £23 million investment from both the UK and the Welsh Government in 2016 for a new innovative production line to support expansion into new and existing export markets, to include the Middle East and Africa.
It is now rumoured that should this plant close, this technology and investment will be ripped out if there is no intervention and sent to Germany. Well done, another industry lost, and another NAIL in the great UK Industrial Economy.
This closure would remove technology and investment built and bred in the UK and potentially result in the loss of orders to Europe and other regions.
Does this present Government not realise that due to this investment in 2016, 52% of their orders are to Europe and Worldwide, of which 42% are plastic and 8% plastic-free and no further investment will be made in the plastic-free due to poor growth in that sector.
Whilst it is disappointing that no further investment will be made in plastic-free products due to poor growth in that sector, it is clearly a business decision based on costs.
We must protect our great industries, which are the foundations of our nation.
How can the Conservatives and Labour stand there and state they are? They’re for “Working people” and the blue-collar and skilled workforce because the fate of these workers should not be sold down the river.
Reform is needed to avoid selling our country short.
Join the REVOLUTION for Reform UK before it’s too late.