LABOUR is being questioned over its commitment to battery vehicle technology development in the West Midlands – after announcing it would build “gigafactories” and create thousands of jobs elsewhere.
Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey announced at the Labour Party conference that it was backing building three of the battery plants in Stoke-on-Trent, Swindon and South Wales.
The so-called gigafactories and £2.3billion investment would be at the forefront of the manufacturing shift to producing electric vehicles, away from environmentally damaging fuel, for companies including Jaguar Land Rover.
The West Midlands region is already creating battery development facilities, including in Coventry, with regional industry and cross-party political collaboration and support.
But Conservative Solihull MP Julian Knight has attacked Labour’s proposals.
He said: “I strongly support bringing the Gigafactory and the thousands of jobs that it can bring to the West Midlands – the home of the car industry.
“With the National Battery Industrialisation Centre being built right now in Coventry, with JLR such an important part of our region’s economy, and with a raft of expertise in the automotive industry here, this is the place it should be.
“We need to strengthen our automotive sector in the West Midlands and build a cluster of mutually-supportive successful industries.
“Frankly, I think it is absurd that Labour haven’t supported the West Midlands – they need to ditch this bonkers policy and get behind (West Midlands mayor) Andy Street and our region and back bringing the Gigafactory and jobs to the West Midlands.
“Labour MPs in this region should step up on this issue and either get Labour’s policy changed or disown it.
“We need the West Midlands region to campaign for, and win, this crucial investment. Labour policy being against this is deeply unhelpful to our region, the automotive industry, and thousands of jobs.”
The three factories under a Labour government would be more than 50 per cent state-owned, and employ more than 3,000 people.
