THE chief executive of Sheffield Forgemasters said this week he did not want the company to be a 'political football' in the city over the Government's scrapping of an £80m loan. In a letter read out to councillors, Graham Honeyman said there was a "glimmer of hope" that the Government might eventually be able to offer financial help.
Meanwhile, the company wanted time to review privately where it was going and he urged the council to adopt a collective position that "prevents the possibility of us being used as a political football within the city".
The letter was read out by council leader Paul Scriven at a debate on the withdrawal of the £80m loan for Forgemasters to build a 15,000 tonne press for the nuclear industry.
Dr Honeyman said a statement by Business Secretary Vince Cable had referred to keeping the situation under review. "We welcome this statement as it gives some encouragement to the possibility that although financial constraints currently are such that the loan is deemed impossible by the Government, there is some glimmer of hope that, say, in a year or so, the situation many be different." He urged the council to cross political boundaries and get behind the approach.
"We are grateful for the huge support we have had and continue to have across Sheffield, including from Labour members."
Coun Scriven accused Labour of "playing party politics" by continuing to campaign for the loan to be reinstated. But Labour's Coun Harry Harpham said: "The people of Sheffield are shouting in their thousands for the Government to give this loan. If the Lib Dems are not prepared to stand up for Sheffield they should stand aside. " Labour MPs have raised around 10,000 signatures on a petition for the loan to be reinstated and a demonstration was held before the town hall meeting.
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