The proposed redundancies at AstraZeneca are a wake-up call for all of us.
We have relied on AZ for too long. If the time comes when they relocate elsewhere they will leave a huge hole. Remember the reverberations in Macclesfield when Ernest Scragg ceased operations?
Cheshire East need to be planning for this now. We should all be planning for it. Nothing lasts forever.
Not that long ago Marks and Spencer made all their clothing in the UK, now you’d be hard pressed to find any.
Imagine the affect on all those UK workers employed making M&S contracts.
Crossing our fingers and hoping it never happens isn’t smart.
We need to encourage employment growth across the board.
The more we spread risk the better. What can we offer? We have a good central location, excellent access to airport and motorway networks. Let’s promote ourselves.
How about some tax incentives for new businesses locating in our area?
Our region is in dire need of family leisure facilities – why not talk to the big operators and give them reason to come?
We all need to be proactive on this. It’s no good procrastinating until a crisis occurs. We need to help ourselves and we need to do it now. The knock-on effect of AstraZeneca affects us all.
