Shop Direct (Greater Manchester)

Debate between Jim Shannon and Debbie Abrahams

Tuesday 1st May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Debbie Abrahams]

Absolutely. The irony is not lost on me, and I will come on to that.

What was so disappointing was the failure of Shop Direct to engage with anyone. As Shop Direct directors revealed on the morning of this announcement, this move has been planned for more than 18 months, and during that time there have been no discussions with staff, USDAW, Oldham Council, my colleagues and me or the Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I congratulate the hon. Lady on bringing this issue to the House for consideration. Does she agree that it is time the Government began to intervene to encourage big businesses to remain in situ, especially considering that profits appear in this case to be 14.6% on the back of 15.9% growth in 2016 and 17.4% growth in 2015? Businesses must understand that they have a duty of care to employees, which does not appear to have been met in this case. It is not all about making profit; it is about looking after the employees.