Hull MP slams Clegg boasts over Siemens

Hull North MP Diana Johnson has responded to claims from Nick Clegg that Siemens setting up wind turbine manufacturing in Hull is "a real success" of the Coalition's industrial strategy.

The claim was made in the Hull Daily Mail today (26 September), accompanied by claims that the Deputy Prime Minister has been working "flat out" to bring Siemens to Hull.

Diana Johnson MP said: "On the basis of a few phone calls, Nick Clegg tries to claim credit for the hard graft done by many in Hull over the past few years to bring Siemens to Hull - notably in the Hull business community and the local authority.

"A year ago Hull's Labour MPs met Vince Cable to talk about the mixed messages from the Coalition about supporting renewable energy. There is still further work to do on this issue. The Coalition Government has unfortunately sent out confused messages over their green energy policy.

"Further, skilled private sector jobs have been lost in Hull as a result of the Government 'industrial strategy' that Clegg boasts about. Look at our local battle for BAE Systems jobs at Brough and the VAT attack on the Hull caravan industry that we had to fight this year, all as a result of the policies supported by Lib Dems in this Government."

Nick Clegg's comments on Siemens can be seen at http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Nick-Clegg-Siemens-wind-turbine-factory-transform/story-16988142-detail/story.html

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