Last updated at 12:14, Tuesday, 15 January 2013

AUSTERITY has led to a dramatic fall in Cumbrian businesses, an MP has claimed.

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Speaking at Cumbria Chamber of Commerce’s winter lunch MP for Barrow and Furness, John Woodcock, said there are 500 fewer businesses operating in the county than in January last year.

Mr Woodcock, during a guest speaking spot, stressed the importance of the business community working together in a bid to ensure the reputation of Furness as a national “cradle for engineering” doesn’t fade away.

The MP, who last week stepped down from his position as shadow transport minister, spoke about his priorities for 2013.

He said: “I am proud of the vision for the Furness economy we were able to map out over the past year.

“There is enormous potential for what we have got here in Furness.

“The last blueprint we looked at assumed manufacturing was in decline and the role of government was to think of ways we could manage that decline and we were talking about how to turn the area into the leisure capital.

“But we’ve had remarkable levels of success for manufacturing – from the shipyard to solid state lighting.”

Business leaders including John Grainger, of Invest in Cumbria, and Furness Enterprise’s Stuart Klosinski.

Mr Woodcock reminded businesses of power of collective working and urged them to get behind his campaign to protect direct rail services between Barrow and Manchester.

He added: “There are real barriers here – isolation being one.

“We need improvement and to stop going backwards.”

Mr Grainger praised the work of the Cumbrian MPs in setting up Cumbria Day, which will take place in parliament on February 14 and each MP will be taking a guest food producer to the event – which is designed to highlight the strength of Cumbria as a centre for innovative produce.

Mr Woodcock has issued a shortlist of producers for the event after followers on social media sites suggested them.

The shortlist includes: Stringer’s Beer, from Ulverston; Ulverston Brewing Company; Thomas’ Bakery, in Dalton; Green’s Bakers & Confectioners, from Barrow; Broughton Village Bakery; Cumbrian Pig Company, from Ulverston; Tyson’s Butchers, from Broughton; Foxfield Brewery; and Gillams Tearooms, from Ulverston.

Visit www.johnwoodcock.org to register your vote.

First published at 10:53, Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk