False hope in Keynsham

KEYNSHAM - Last night's confirmation by Kraft that they would not be keeping the old Fry factory in Keynsham open is a body blow to our small town. Cadbury had already planned to move the jobs to Poland, and the work on shifting production was well-advanced. In a global marketplace, these changes will happen both to Britain's cost and benefit. So the promises being made to campaigners in advance of the Cadbury takeover that Kraft would keep the Somerdale plant open seemed surprising. But by making them, they offered hope at a time when plans for the future use of the extensive site were already well aired by the local council. Yet the seeming inevitability of the plant's closure cannot excuse Kraft's cynical handling of the issue. They gave workers and community campaigners false hope. And that is unforgivable.