Refrom UK have called on Cumbrian MPs to lay out a new plan for jobs in West Cumbria after the government withdrew its support for the proposed new mine in Whitehaven.

The party’s open letter comes after the new Labour government has claimed that there was an 'error of law' in granting planning permission for the west Cumbria coal mine and has pulled its defence of the decision in forthcoming legal challenges.

Angela Rayner, the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, has said that there was an 'error of law' in the decision to grant planning permission for the controversial mine in December 2022 by the previous government.

West Cumbria Mining first mooted the coal mine in 2014, permission was initially granted in March 2019 but it has since faced legal challenges.

The mine would provide coking coal to the steel industry as opposed to generating coal for energy production.

“The real issue here is the complete disregard for the economic activity that will be created by the mine and subsequent breaking of Labour manifesto promises to speed up the planning process,” said the letter.

“Successive governments (Conservatives and Labour) have decimated our industrial landscape and the very heart of the industrial revolution by privatising our industries to the highest bidder, allowing foreign interests to control our utilities or best of all exporting all hard manual labour to Asia at the expense of the working-class man and women trying to put food on the table.

“With 6,710 unemployed and 312 16–17-year-olds not in education, employment or training in Cumbria, it appears to us that there is a dire need for new jobs in the area.”

Earlier this month, the new MP for Whitehaven and Workington, Josh MacAlister called on the new government to create new jobs in a ‘lasting’ industry.

“The proposals for the mine won’t provide the long-term jobs that we need,” said Josh MacAlister MP.

“However, the new government must provide an alternative plan to bring new well-paid jobs to West Cumbria in industries that will last.

“The election of a Labour government last week means that we now have a government committed to delivering a green industrial strategy to get these jobs here.

“I’ll be holding ministers’ feet to the fire to set out a detailed, credible alternative for West Cumbria that will deliver the brighter future we need and deserve.”