IN HIS new role as a Government Minister, Wrexham MP Ian Lucas says he is working hard to ensure the best possible deal is struck for Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant.
He sees this as vitally important, not just for the whole UK automotive industry but also for Wrexham and Flintshire, which has around 200 people employed at the factory.
Two rival bidders are currently locked in a set of highly complex negotiations to take over General Motors’ European arm, which includes Vauxhall – with plants at Ellesmere Port and Luton – and its sister-company, Opel, which has a series of factories in Germany.
The suitors are Canadian car parts manufacturer, Magna International, and Belgian-based venture capital group, RHJ.
Both have differing ideas of how the company should be run in future and both have pledged to preserve jobs.
The final decision on which concern will win the battle of the bids is expected soon, although nobody can give a precise estimate on when this might come because of the complexity of the negotiations and the number of parties with an interest.
The decision will be made by the trust which runs Vauxhall and Opel since its US parent company decided to shed its European operations.
But there is likely to be particularly heavy influence from the German government because of the importance of the Opel plants to the national economy.
Mr Lucas, who is Minister for Business and Regulatory Reform in Lord Mandelson’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, said: “As a back-bencher I always had an interest in the Ellesmere Port plant and made visits there on a number of occasions.
“I was also involved in the decision to build the next generation of Astra there.
“As a Minister I am continuing to work very hard to see the best possible deal for Vauxhall is struck.
“This is because I am well aware of the importance of the plant to the local and national economy.”
Mr Lucas added: “These are very complex negotiations because of the number of parties involved.
“The whole process is also very fluid, so it difficult to predict when there might be a solution.
“However, Lord Mandelson and I are making sure that the case for the British plants is made as strongly as possible and that the maximum number of jobs is preserved.
“Lord Mandelson is intimately involved in this process and is certainly someone I would like to have batting on my behalf.”