KITTY Ussher has launched a personal "Buy Burnley" campaign at Westminster.

The town's MP used a Budget debate in the House of Commons to urge MPs and consumers to choose products made in her constituency ahead of foreign alternatives.

The Burnley Labour backbencher gave a list of companies which made top quality products, including Baxi Potterton, Aircelle, Tenneco Walker, TRW and Smith Aerospace.

And she said that boosting manufacturing was vital to stop young people born in the town from leaving it in search of well paid employment.

As MPs and ministers discussed the importance of education and manufacturing, Mrs Ussher stressed its importance to Burnley and East Lancashire, and their importance to the national economy.

She said education and manufacturing were closely linked saying: "I find nothing more heartbreaking than able, well educated young, or not so young, people in my constituency being faced with the stark choice between leaving their community in order to get a decent job or forfeiting that opportunity to be nearer their families.

"People should not have to choose between their community and their career.

"Social justice does not depend on the town one calls home, good jobs must be available wherever people happen to live.

"As we have more than double the national average of people employed in manufacturing in Burnley, I am firmly convinced that British manufacturing can succeed in the 21st century.

"I am proud to say that we have some of that excellence in my constituency with companies such as Baxi Potterton, Aircelle, Tenneco Walker, TRW and Smith Aerospace to name but a few.

"The challenge we face, whether in Burnley or in Britain as a whole, is to ensure that we innovate to stay ahead in a fast moving, competitive world.

"I want consumers around the world to choose British, preferably Burnley, products because they are the smartest, cleverest and most desirable bit of kit that money can buy.

"To achieve that, our firms need continually to innovate and train to stay ahead of the competition.

"Most of the responsibility for that lies with managers but the government can help."

Earlier this week Mrs Ussher came under fire from opposition parties after suggesting she was happy with the state of the NHS on the day health bosses in East Lancashire announced more than 400 beds were being slashed.