Rescue for caravan manufacturing is 'test of the Northern Powerhouse', MPs claim

Labour MPs Emma Hardy, Dame Diana Johnson, and Karl Turner have been pushing the government for more support for the industry, which employs more than 20,000 people across Hull and East Yorkshire.

And today the trio met with Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi to call for financial help.

Without the support, the industry faces redundancies and lay offs which the politicians say could run into the thousands.

Hull West and Hessle’s Ms Hardy said: “Our caravan industry is a successful and profitable industry providing thousands of skilled jobs across Hull and East Riding, if it is to survive this winter the government will need to provide more support for the industry leading up to next spring.

“The meeting with the minister this morning was productive, with the minister seeing this as an industry specific and temporary ask. He knows that come the spring and the rise of ‘staycations’ our industry will rebound stronger than ever.

“However, it must be stressed we are not out of the woods yet and if the government is going to deliver on its promise to level-up in the north, it must not let our caravan industry run aground because of the COVID-19 crisis.”

Mr Turner, MP for Hull East, said the meeting was “positive and encouraging” but warned “we are not over the line yet”.

He said: “The clock is ticking to prevent a loss of good-quality, skilled jobs that

would hit Hull incredibly hard.

“The furlough scheme has done a great deal to assist caravan manufacturers, but if that is to mean anything, the Government need to take it further. This was a successful industry before the pandemic that contributed a great deal to our region, and it will be again, but the consequences of inaction would be dire.”

Dame Diana, MP for Hull North, added: “With 32,000 people furloughed across Hull there is serious concern about local unemployment increasing further in coming months.

“We need new jobs and regeneration in Hull. However, our most pressing priority is keeping the local jobs we have already - such as the 20,000 across the caravan industry and its supply chain.

The industry has pointed to action that this Government can easily take to save jobs. Whether or not they do is a real test of the so-called ‘Northern Powerhouse’.”