Angela Rayner issues statement as huge food supplier announces site closure - putting over 500 jobs at risk

MPs Angela Rayner and Andrew Gwynne have issued a statement after a huge food supplier in Ashton-under-Lyne announced plans to close its site - putting nearly 550 jobs at risk.

Pilgrims UK, one of the Britain's largest pork providers, is proposing to shut its Dukinfield base, as it cited current unfavourable market conditions in the country as a driving factor.

The proposals mean that all 542 staff employed at the site on Bow Street have been told they are at risk of redundancy. The company said it had entered into a consultation process with employees.

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Rayner, who is Deputy Labour Leader and an MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, and Gwynne, MP for Denton Reddish, have now issued a joint statement, as they described the proposals 'incredibly concerning.'

"This is an incredibly concerning proposal, which puts lives and livelihoods at risk right in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis," they said, in a statement provided to the M.E.N.

"Our thoughts are with the Pilgrims’ employees who are understandably extremely anxious about their jobs and finances.

"We'll be writing to Pilgrim’s UK to urge them to reconsider this decision, and to engage with workers, elected representatives and local people to avoid this closure. We will also be liaising with trade unions to see if there’s anything more we can do to help them at this worrying time."

Local councillors have also expressed their "shock" following the announcement, and said the proposals would be 'absolutely devastating for the local Dukinfield and Ashton community.

Jackie Lane, who is Lab Cllr for Dukinfield, told the M.E.N: "I am in shock. There are a lot of people in Dukinfield that work there and