Pringle plans: Reaction in quotes

Pringle of Scotland has announced plans to end its manufacturing operations in Hawick with the potential loss of 80 jobs. Here is some of the reaction to the proposal.

This is a devastating blow to the town and is the worst possible news for the people affected in the build-up to the summer holidays.

It is vital that they and their families get immediate support, and that the local agencies address the broader implications of what is happening in the textiles industry.

Pringle has been synonymous with Hawick for generations and it is a tragedy that the manufacturing capacity should reach this sorry end.

If Pringle does stop manufacturing in Hawick this would be a serious blow for a town the size of Hawick.

I sincerely hope Pringle can be persuaded to reconsider.

Scotland is an essential part of the Pringle brand and to end manufacturing in Hawick would be the end of an era for the company.

I want the enterprise minister to set up and lead a taskforce to help the staff affected by this decision.

The taskforce must include Scottish Borders Council, the employment service and Heriot-Watt University.

We must ensure that all the staff that lose their jobs are given individually tailored help to ensure that they are either re-employed or retrained as quickly as possible.

The Hawick economy is very fragile and job losses on this scale are bound to have serious consequences unless help is brought in urgently.

Concerns were raised earlier in the year about Pringle's future in Hawick.

Despite my best efforts to engage in a constructive discussion with management, management ignored my repeated requests to discuss a possible solution to the issues.

It now seems that the reassurances offered to a number of other local politicians at that time were unfounded.

Our business model and our brand have changed dramatically over the years.

The growth that we have achieved in other parts of the business has come from a much more comprehensive, ready-to-wear apparel collection and we simply must respond to the changing nature of the market.

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