Politicians across Newry and Mourne have held top level talks with Custom staff and officials as the campaign to save their jobs gathers pace. Sinn Fein MP Conor Murphy has held a joint briefing session with SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie and HMRC staff regarding the ongoing campaign to save their jobs. About 100 staff members attended the meeting in Bagnel’s Castle on Friday January 24. Mr Murphy said, “Following our recent meeting with Treasury Minster David Gauke we wanted to speak with the staff in Newry to make sure they are up to date with everything which has been done to secure their jobs. I am aware that this will be a hard fought campaign but both myself and my fellow MPs are committed to doing all we can to ensure the HMRC doesn’t make a unilateral decision regarding jobs here in the north.” Newry and Armagh MLA Danny Kennedy also met with the HMRC following November’s announcement that the organisation is providing a voluntary exit scheme. “I put the suggestion to the managers that this exit scheme was just the beginning of a process that would lead to further reduction in staff, a loss of local services and eventual closure of offices all of which would be a serious blow to the community and the economy,” said the UUP MLA. While managers denied this there is an obvious viewpoint that if the overall staff in HMRC nationwide will be reduced by over 20 per cent then the knock on effect of this is the possibility of office closures. Estimates suggest that the HMRC office in Newry is worth in excess of £2.5m per annum to the local economy. That level of money circulating is not easy to replace.”
Newry Democrat
28th January 2014
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