Secret consultation documents finally released after the Morning Star’s two-year freedom of information battle show the Home Office misrepresented public opinion, claiming support for policies that most respondents actually strongly criticised as dangerous and unfair, writes SOLOMON HUGHES
“IT is a scandal that the industrial base of an area which has a proud record in engineering is being destroyed to such an extent,” the MP for the Glasgow East End district of Springburn told the Commons.
“If we do not train young apprentices, we shall destroy the seed corn.”
This wasn’t Paul Sweeney, the current MP, speaking of the recent plans to close the St Rollox railway works. It was the late Michael Martin — who would later become the Commons Speaker — speaking 33 years ago, when the workforce at the site was being reduced from 1,000 to fewer than 200.