Tony Cunningham's Constituency

Workington lies astride the River Derwent, on the West Cumbrian coastal plain. It is bound to the west by the Solway Firth, part of the Irish Sea, and by the Lake District fells to the east. This locality gives Workington a wide fusion of differing areas with, hill farms, forests, fells, lakes, and a coast line. The constituency encompasses the market town of Cockermouth the birth place of the romantic poet William Wordsworth, the port of Maryport and the market towns of Aspatria, and Silloth.

Workington is an ancient market and industrial town at the mouth of the River Derwent. Some parts of the town north of the River Derwent date back to Roman times. It was in the 18th century, with the exploitation of the local iron ore and coal pits that Workington expanded to become a major industrial town and port.

The Steel Industry was once part of Workington Iron and Steel manufacture has always been part of its heritage, and it was here that the famous Henry Bessemer first introduced his revolutionary steel making process. British Steel had its engineering arm Distington Engineering Company with engineering workshops and foundry .One offshoot of the steel industry was the production of steel railway rails. Following the closure of the Moss Bay steel works in 2006 this saw the end of Workington's long association with steel.

In recent years, with the decline of the steel industry and coal mining, the town has diversified into other forms of industry. Workington has attracted new industries such as the footwear manufacturer New Balance; many people are employed in retail and the public sector. We live in a beautiful area and its natural beauty attracts millions of visitors every year, which gives many people work in the service industry supporting tourism.

I recognise that the area, like large sections of the UK, is vulnerable to economic changes that effect jobs. Cockermouth is a lovely ancient market town with an unusually large number of small independent shops, but these are susceptible to changes in our local job market, such as those effecting the nuclear industry and public sector. We are within a short distance of some of the most attractive lakes in the Lake District, but this makes us exposed to the decline in tourists if the economy declines. Workington although was in decline is now developing a service and commercial sector. These changes have meant the community as had to adapt and learn different skills. These have benefited some of my constituents but have left others at a disadvantage, in terms of life expectancy, educational attainment and straight forward aspirations. I will as a Member of Parliament put my constituency needs at the top of the agenda, to address the differing requirements that these vastly differing areas of our region need. I hope in this I can help our communities to prosper, improve and become a more enriched community.

Credits:
- Cumbria photography by www.visitcumbria.com
- Thanks to Jim Davies for all Tony Cunningham photography