YORK’S MP is to raise fears about jobs in the city with a top Government minister.

Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, has written to Business Secretary Greg Clark after a series of worrying job announcements, and has secured a meeting with him to discuss the situation.

The meeting comes in the wake of the 1,500 civilian jobs which will go when York’s barracks sites close, as well as 300 jobs at Minster Law, which are moving to Wakefield, 150 jobs under threat at Nestle, and nearly 50 CPP roles threatened as it moves part of its operation to Leeds.

With the succession of worrying announcements, Ms Maskell said she wanted to talk to the Government about a jobs crisis in York, and get its support to bring more decent jobs to replace those lost.

The MP said: “I have been working for quite some time now with businesses, listening to why they are leaving the city.”

There are “real challenges” related to businesses choosing to locate elsewhere, she said, and decisions have been affected by everything from infrastructure in York to the cost of living and business rates in the city. “The cost of running a business in York is extortionate,” Ms Maskell added.

She has spoken to bosses at legal firm Minster Law, which is moving to its Wakefield office, and will be doing the same with finance firm CPP, which is moving part of its operations to Leeds.

She hopes to build up a picture of the economic situation in York, and take it to the Secretary of State to get government support to stabilise the city’s economy and then grow it - with secure and well paid jobs.

Building affordable homes in York will be part of that picture, alongside things like infrastructure, she added.

However, the MP said she also wanted to talk to the minister about positive things for York.

“I want to focus on the opportunities that the universities provide around bio-tech and agri-tech, and the digital media economies.

“We have got a lot of fledgling businesses doing incredibly well, and if they scaled up they could do even more.”

Of the job losses already announced in York, Ms Maskell said there is hope some of the roles at Nestle could still be saved. Talks are still going on, and although the discussions have stopped and started some alternatives to the company’s proposals have been put forward.