Our wonderful Workington constituency is attractive for business. It is home to a number of fantastic businesses who have invested in their employees, their sector and our area, improving skills, creating supply chains, partnering with other business to achieve common goals, investing in our communities, and expanding their own business, delivering benefits to each of us.
When I was deputy leader of Allerdale, before I was elected as your MP, I championed business and investment in our towns across Allerdale. I recognised the importance of skilling up our workforce. I recognised the sense in having a mixed economy across a number of sectors. I encouraged increasing numbers of apprenticeships, and I worked with businesses to highlight opportunities for potential investment.
During these interactions it was clear that Government had a role in potential investment. Some businesses do require assistance to achieve their goals, to fulfil their potential. In recent years, our constituency has seen fantastic examples of this assistance which often primes further private investment.
Workington has benefitted from the Workington Town Deal and Maryport has benefitted from the Future High Street Fund, which have both been catalysts for private-sector investment in their respective towns.
Improving infrastructure, as we are aiming to achieve in the Levelling Up Fund submission for Ramsay Brow, is another way Government can assist. The bid would create an additional route to the Port of Workington and redirect HGVs from the A596 to the A595, alleviating heavy traffic travelling through our towns and villages. Other exampled where investment in our infrastructure could assist businesses is the Cumbria Coast Railway - a business case for which currently sits with Government and hinges on substantial growth, including the mine - the B5300 from Silloth, and the Brigham/Broughton roundabout to name just a few.
I was delighted a few weeks ago when the Government announced they were rolling out new Investment Zones. An Enterprise Zone has been a key pledge of My Plan before I was elected in 2019 and remains a pledge in Our Plan. They've been Conservative policy over many years in the form of enterprise zones and Freeports. I was glad when Cumbria County Council took up my suggestion of submitting an Expression of Interest for the land around the Port of Workington and Oldside as a potential Investment Zone. The land will be a key beneficiary of our Town Deal, a catalyst for that area of our constituency, and it will contribute greatly to the success of our local economy.
For our constituency to succeed, yes, we need businesses already based here to grow. But we also need to attract new businesses that acknowledge our strengths, businesses which invest further in our area, in our communities, and create even more opportunities here on people's doorsteps.
I have written this week to the Levelling Up Secretary of State, Michael Gove, to ask him not to renege on the pledge of more Investment Zones as I believe it is exactly this sort of assistance that Government can provide to strengthen local economies and level up areas like the Workington Constituency.
I look forward to seeing the fruits of our labours over the coming months. We really area on the cusp of a huge renaissance.
