8 | Aycliffe Today Business
Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 9
'AYCLIFFE NEEDS
EUROPE'
Labour supporters and the media
gather for the high-profile event.
INSISTS BLAIR
ON VISIT
Tony Blair was given a guided tour of
Hitachi’s train-building factory.
By Martin Walker
Tony Blair says the “high
quality” companies which are
coming to Newton Aycliffe want
the security of knowing they
can trade in Europe without
tariffs.
Tony Blair spoke to Aycliffe Today - you can watch it here by downloading the Aurasma
App on your smartphpone, search and follow Aycliffe Today then scan this picture and
watch it come to life!
The former Prime Minister and exSedgefield MP was back in the area in the
run-up to the General Election to promote
the Labour Party’s campaign.
He used the Xcel Centre on Aycliffe
Business Park to launch a rallying cry for Ed
Miliband’s party, and focused on the issue of
Europe during a 30-minute speech.
After his address, Mr Blair visited Hitachi
Rail Europe’s nearby factory, which is on
course to be ready later this year and will
start producing high-speed trains next year.
In a Video Interview with Aycliffe Today, he
said: “We’re managing to attract really high
quality businesses here.
“I think the fact you’re going to have a
training college near here, giving young
people the skills they need for the future, is
great.
“We’ve got to keep this going and moving
forward, so the disruption of a potential exit
from Europe is not really helpful.
“When people come here they want
certainty, they want predictability and they
want to know they can sell into the European
market without paying tariffs.
”
Mr Blair added: “This (Hitachi) is one of the
premier companies in the world.
“They chose to come to Newton Aycliffe,
they could have gone to over 40 different
Photographers scramble to get the best shot of Tony Blair inside Hitachi’s factory.
locations.
“They came here in part because of the
local council, because of the local MP Phil
Wilson, and because they could feel the
enthusiasm for having it here.
“My message today is, since this is called
Hitachi Rail Europe, is that we should stay
in the European Union and we shouldn’t
withdraw.
”
Mr Blair also said he enjoyed returning
to the area where he was Member of
Parliament from 1983 until he stood down in
2007
.
“I always love coming back here, he said.
”
“I always get a really warm welcome and
it’s great to see what a fabulous job Phil
Wilson is doing as my successor as MP”
.
See pages 28-29 for Tim Francis' column
on Blair's visit.
“I think the fact you’re
going to have a training
college near here,
giving young people the
skills they need for the
future, is great.
”