Employment minister Priti Patel today joined Essex Chambers of Commerce officials on a tour of five leading mid Essex firms.

The Witham MP called on Crittal Windows, Hayman Group and Village Glass, all based in Witham, Tiptree jam maker Wilkin & Sons and Essex & Suffolk Water’s newly enlarged reservoir at Abberton, where she met with some of the company’s apprentices.

The aim of the visit was to highlight the work being undertaken by some of the county’s leading employers and the impact of Government policies on their day-to-day activities.

Ms Patel said: “I have known for a long time that some of the best businesses in the country are based in Essex and my tour today has confirmed that.

“We have seen examples of manufacturers that export all over the globe and how the county’s water supplies have been safeguarded through the investment at Abberton Reservoir whilst at the same time providing real benefits to the local environment and delivering training to rural businesses.

“My experiences today have demonstrated that Essex is good for business and long may it continue,” she added.

Essex Chambers chief executive Denise Rossiter added: “Priti has been a good friend to Essex Chambers and businesses generally for several years so I was delighted to be able to show her some of the really enterprising businesses that we have in the county.

“We both found the variety of businesses fascinating and they reinforced the need for the government to provide the investment in our infrastructure to ensure that businesses like those we saw on our tour can continue to prosper and provide employment for local people.”