Andrea Leadsom MP, Minister of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, has refuted claims that voting to leave the EU would threaten the offshore wind industry, brandishing such views as “nonsense”.
The Eurosceptic minister’s comments came following a speech made by Melanie Onn MP at the recent Offshore Wind Connections conference, in which the Grimsby MP claimed that a potential leave vote during the forthcoming referendum would threaten the offshore wind sector. Mrs Leadsom explained to the Grimsby Telegraph that "My response to what Melanie said (about the threat to the industry) is that it is nonsense". She went on to say: "If we leave the EU, our ability to require UK content (manufacturing) and to make our own policy decisions, free from EU intervention, will be much greater", and assured local people that "Grimsby can be utterly confident that the offshore wind sector will be alive and well and thriving if we leave the EU."
On the issue of immigration, the minister explained the necessity of the Government having control over who it lets into the country: "Leaving the EU won't mean the UK no longer permits any immigration – it will still be significant where it is needed – but the difference would be that the UK would not have to accept unlimited and uncontrollable migration and that will be the big win for British people who are trying to compete in the workplace."
Local MP, Martin Vickers, who is a fellow Eurosceptic, welcomed the minister’s comments: "The minister is far closer to this than any of us and she has clearly reached the conclusion that it would be better for the offshore sector and other emerging industries to be outside the EU.” Mr Vickers went on to state that, "The sector is absolutely critical for the economic growth in our area. If we can develop the supply chain with British manufactured content, then there will be better paid and more jobs in North Lincolnshire and the wider Humber area."