Newcastle North MP, Catherine McKinnell, has demanded action from the Business Secretary following today’s announcement that Nestlé UK plans to make 110 people redundant at its Fawdon factory.

The job cuts are being made after the firm has decided to move production of the iconic Blue Riband biscuit from the UK to Poland, and will also see 165 posts being lost across Nestlé sites in York, Halifax and Girvan.

The Fawdon factory is one of the single largest employment sites in Catherine’s Newcastle North constituency.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Catherine said:

‘This is absolutely devastating news for Fawdon, and I am urgently writing to the Business Secretary asking him to work with me, Nestle and the GMB union to try and find a way of retaining these good jobs here in Newcastle where they belong.

‘The Government cannot allow its single-minded focus on Brexit to distract from the need to protect British jobs now, and I will be doing all I can to support all the families affected by this extremely disappointing decision.’