Liberal Democrat and Derby perspective on Bombardier

From a Liberal Democrat perspective Eric Ashburner, Derby City Councillor writes that there are several issues.

• We seem to have been asleep in the run up to this decision being made public. There was no criticism of the tender rules or process until after the decision was made, by which time Labour could say, accurately, that we made the decision.
• It is over a year since we "took power" and judging by our experience on Derby City Council bad decisions by the previous regime will continue to emerge for some time to come. As will our bad decisions come back to hit whoever replaces us after the next general election.
• At a senior level most British politicians are lawyers or have been full time politicians throughout their "working" life with no direct connection with commercial life. Possibly this is why they are uninterested in invitation to tender documents. Is this the same in the rest of Europe? This affects British Lib Dem politicians just like the rest.
• I have written to Nick asking what he did to support Bombardier before the decision. So far this is without success, largely because I am learning how the process is supposed to work.
• It is no good blaming British Civil Servants they can not be voted out, we will be.
• If other European countries are not following the rules then we should appeal to the appropriate courts. Our failure to appeal suggests that the other countries are following the rules, and that we are adding our own.
• The review of UK contracts must be effective for all our futures.
• How will manufacturing industry be able to employ redundant Civil Servants when the English government does this to them. They seem to do things better inScotland.
• At a local level we need to be seen to be supporting Bombardier as far as possible, including being an identifiable presence in all protest marches. If that involves distancing ourselves from the National Lib Dems then so be it.