Mayor wants to continue talks with AstraZeneca

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has said he is hoping to restart talks with AstraZeneca after it scrapped plans to invest £450m in expanding a vaccine manufacturing plant in Merseyside.

The pharmaceutical giant said Labour had failed to match the previous Conservative administration's offer of support.

The Treasury said a change to the "make-up of the investment" that had originally been proposed led to the government grant being reduced.

Rotheram, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority leader, said the announcement was "deeply disappointing".

He said the cancellation did not impact on existing jobs at the site in Speke.

"Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has not been party to the negotiations between government and AstraZeneca, which have taken place over many months," he said.

"However, we have worked tirelessly to develop a comprehensive package of recruitment and training support to help convince AstraZeneca that further investment was the right option.

"That work continues, and I'll be working with the government and AstraZeneca - who have enjoyed a long and productive presence in the city region - to see if focused talks can take place."

Maria Eagle, the Labour MP for Garston, told the BBC: "I don't know why this decision has been made.

"My understanding from the government is that there wasn't an issue about money.

"I've not yet got quite to the bottom of what's gone on, but I intend to do so."

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