DEAR EDITOR - I would like to compliment through your pages, the hard work of my Labour colleagues on Bromsgrove District Council, led by Cllr Peter McDonald, and the officials of the AEEU, who have been representing the workers at the threatened UEF plant in Bromsgrove.

We all realised from an early stage that the only way to be effective in trying to secure a future for the plant at UEF, and therefore the livelihood of 500 Bromsgrove families, was to attempt to bring all interested parties together and discuss ways of maintaining the site.

I have been in constant communication with my colleagues locally and have talked to the AEEU about the situation in depth. Following discussions, I have contacted Advantage West Midlands to explore the possibility of accessing European money for the site as an incentive in attracting a potential new buyer.

We are all working hard to achieve the continuation of the site in a similar form, which is the only way of maintaining the current level of employment and should be everybody's main priority.

It is absolutely essential under these circumstances that everyone works towards achieving the same ends and in the best interests of the workforce.

I have been approached by Cllr McDonald to investigate the role of the administrators in seeking a new buyer for the site, which I will be pursuing. I firmly hope that the New Year will bring good news for the workforce and their families at UEF.

Neena Gill,

MEP,

West Midlands.