Tuesday, 9 February 2010

Some Candy Talking

Well it didn't take them long, did it? Kraft have confirmed - or rather, announced because it wasn't even floated before today - that they're going to close the Cadbury's plant in Keynsham, despite declaring during their takeover bid that they wanted to reverse Cadbury's plans to move production to Poland. As an MP who has many constituents working at the Somerdale plant, I had to an extent put aside my misgivings about an American company taking over a British institution like Cadbury's on a highly-leveraged buyout because of their assurances on the future of Somerdale, and their apparent willingness to reconsider Cadbury's decision to close the plant. I'm sure Dan Norris, the local MP, has been on the case and will try to catch him at the votes later on tonight to see what we can do. I think an urgent meeting with Cadbury's management must be on the cards. In the meantime, I'll be sticking to Divine rather than Green and Black's.

4 comments:

Matthew Taylor said...

I'm not clear what a meeting with Cadbury's management is met to achieve. I know it's traditional for MPs to demand them, and companies usually agree to meet, but what does it achieve?

If the company has considered the case for closure compelling, and the Union has played its part properly, isn't the MP demanding a meeting just grandstanding?

Red Rag said...

I see Tory Bear has blamed you for the closing down of the factory. Using soon to be unemployed workers as a political football.....it is like second nature for the Tories.

http://redrag1.blogspot.com/

Van Helsing said...

So RBS leveraged the takeover for Kraft,using taxpayers money supplied by the Government; now a major owner of several banks.
Lord Mandleson get's an assurance re. Cadbury Jobs. Now the good people of Bristol are going to suffer.
I blame the Tories, If people had voted labour this wouldn't have happened.

Bristol Dave said...

Kraft made no mention of this whilst they were sealing the bid? This can't have come as any surprise to anyone, not least the poor workers who obviously had the nouse to see this coming a mile off which is why they were so against the take-over. I do feel sorry for the workers, but I do wish Mandelson had left his obviously hollow assurances at home. He knew he couldn't do anything to ensure job-losses are kept to a minimum, so why even pretend he could? Ugh, I can't stand him.

I do love a bit of Green & Blacks though :-P