Dear Review,
I see the local Conservatives are trying to promote a timely  feelgood factor about Hatfield.
Tory MP Grant Shapps is hailing the new businesses now set up  on the former De Havilland aircraft site as a great success. He produces figures that demonstrate more people now work there than in the decades of aircraft manufacture. Mr Shapps is again ably supported by the WH Times who ran a two page spread about the ‘success’. This may be so, but the people who are employed in the new bussinesses now are not, generally local people.
For example, Tmobile (EE) brought their workforce in from Borehamwood. Eisai relocated from Hammersmith and Pitney Bowes from Harlow.  That’s about 2000 staff to begin with! The new ARLA depot should be open in the summer with ‘600 new jobs’ being created according to Tory councillor Lynn Sparkes. Let’s hope so, but I haven’t seen any being advertised yet.
Of course one cannot compare de Havillands / BAe with the new businesses. BAe played an important and responsible role within the community. But not one of the new companies – no matter how large – even so much as provides a football team, let alone a social club or  sponsorship for a local cause.
After reading of the ‘Hatfield success’ I checked to see why it suddenly appeared. And yes, you guessed it, some County Council elections in Hatfield wards are just weeks away. And let's not forget, neither the Conservatives or Labour party had anything to do with the new companies setting up in Hatfield. therefore none should attempt to take the credit for it. 

 

Yours, Chris Bell (ex BAe engineer)