Unless a major industry comes here, the closure will be a massive blow to this area. There has been a lot of talk about new jobs and new careers. You are not just going to get this number of people absorbed. The truth is that the future of many workers here has been taken away from them. Victor Bazalej, a fitter with 42 years service, voiced his concerns for the younger workers.
Today is like a wake.
Lots of drinking and celebration but underneath many are really upset. Many men, particularly the younger ones who need to continue to work, will soon realise they have got nowhere to go. They will not be entitled to social security payments until their redundancy money is used up. Under these conditions what they received will not last too long. Barry Gardiner, who worked at the plant for 12 years, was critical of the closure campaign.