First Minister: 'Anger and betrayal' at plans for Bridgend Ford closure

Credit: PA

First Minister Mark Drakeford has described the mood among Ford workers in Bridgend as one of "anger and of betrayal".

Mr Drakeford met with Ford union leaders and workers at the engine plant on Friday morning.

It comes after the car giant announced plans to close the factory in September 2020 at a cost of 1700 jobs.

Read more: Ford boss says employees 'did everything right' but 1,700 jobs axed with closure of Bridgend plant in 2020

ITV News first revealed fears of the closure on Wednesday, and Stuart Rowley, president of Ford of Europe, revealed on Thursday that discussions on the plant's future had been ongoing for some time.

The formal decision to close it was taken on Wednesday.

Speaking after the meeting, the First Minister said the Welsh Government was "absolutely committed" to trying to retain "as many jobs as possible" at the Ford plant in Bridgend.

He added: "Where those jobs cannot be save [we will] work to find alternative employment for people in Bridgend, maximising the fantastic skills that people in the workforce already have".

On Thursday Minister for Economy and Transport Ken Skates AM announced he would be establishing a taskforce "to work with partners over the difficult weeks and months".

He added that Ford had informed him they planned to move production of its Dragon engine to Mexico.

Workers at the plant were sent home on Thursday morning.

Workers from the plant said they were "gutted" at the announcement, and described it as "a bad day for south Wales".