Saving McVitie's factory at Tollcross 'must not harm Carlisle' - MP warns

That is the word from Carlisle's former Labour MP Eric Martlew, after the Scottish Government launched an action group to secure the future of the Glasgow site.

Last week, Pladis, the global snacking company that owns McVitie’s, announced proposals to close its factory in Tollcross, Glasgow - subject to a consultation with employees.

The closure would see the loss of up to 468 jobs, with production moved to other pladis sites within the UK - including Carlisle.

But now, the leader of Glasgow City Council Susan Aitken has phoned David Murray, the UK managing director of the Turkish firm Pladis, which owns the Tollcross site, to tell him trade unions, the city council, the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise had teamed up to save jobs at the threatened plant.

Mr Martlew feared the Scottish Government could offer incentives to the company to stay in Glasgow.

He said: " While l wish them every success in their fight to keep the factory open its survival should not be at the expense of the Carlisle factory.

John Stevenson M.P, Cumbria County Council and Carlisle City Council should engage with United Biscuits (Pladis) to make this point, with Cumbria LEP being ready to intervene.

The danger is that the Scottish Government will offering financial incentives to the company to stay in Glasgow which could disadvantage Carlisle.”

His successor, John Stevenson said: "I understand where Eric is coming from, in the sense that I would not, in anyway, want to see a reduction of production or closure at Carlisle, but I remain confident that Carlisle will be unaffected.

"I am in regular contact with pladis and the senior management and it will be part of my conversations with them when I speak with them next.

"Pladis have invested quite a lot of money in Carlisle after the last floods, so I would be surprised if they would reduce the level of production.

"We also have some iconic products like water crackers which are exported."