The Labour MP for Luton North, Sarah Owen, called the closure decision “callous” and added it would affect “the whole town and the region”.
She added the proposed shutting down of a “manufacturing giant that Luton helped build” would follow the closure of the SKF ball bearing factory in her constituency last month, after a century of manufacturing, calling both companies “synonymous with Luton”.
Rachel Hopkins, Labour MP for Luton South & South Bedfordshire, told the Commons she had friends who had found out yesterday they had lost their jobs, and asked the business secretary if he would meet with workers at the plant.
Reynolds confirmed he would visit the site.
Responding to a question from the Labour MP for North East Hertfordshire, Chris Hinchliff, Reynolds confirmed he had had “several conversations” with the Unite union but admitted a proposal from Stellantis to offer workers a relocation package to Ellesmere Port “would not be attractive” to a lot them.
Stephenson, whose Bedfordshire constituency is home to many workers north of Luton, added he was concerned Labour’s “tax on jobs” would make it difficult to replace the 1,100 manufacturing roles at risk.
In response Reynolds called the staff “skilled and talented” and said they had not potentially lost their jobs “through any deficiencies on their part”.
He added they were “brilliant and talented people who would be in demand elsewhere”.