Derby City Council leader Philip Hickson was at the heart of the campaign to keep Bombardier in the city. In his own words, Mr Hickson gives his view on the battle for Bombardier.

WHEN I stepped out of Bombardier Transportation's global headquarters in Berlin seven months ago I felt that it might be game over for Litchurch Lane.

The other members of the Derby delegation, who had travelled with me to meet the bosses at Bombardier to talk about the future of the factory, felt the same.

It was shortly after the Government had announced that the Thameslink contract had been awarded to Siemens instead of Bombardier.

Bombardier then launched a review of its UK operations. We went to Berlin to ask what could be done to keep Litchurch Lane open.

What we were given was a very clear message that the factory was in jeopardy – that the review would be done and, at the end of it, there was a very real possibility of the factory closing and Bombardier leaving the UK.

Since then, from this low starting point, we have come a long way.

I was absolutely delighted when I heard last week that Bombardier's UK review was at an end and that the Litchurch Lane factory will remain open, at least for the short term.

It was always our goal to see this happen, ever since we had that meeting with the firm's bosses in Berlin.

And I'm absolutely convinced that this outcome is entirely down to the campaign that was launched.

It was a fantastic campaign, which saw everyone in Derby come together. That's why I believe that there is no one individual that should take credit – it was a joint effort.

As a Conservative leader of the council some have said that it must have been quite difficult for me to speak out on a decision made by a Conservative-led government.

But, to my mind, this was an issue that transcended party politics. On this issue, we were fighting for Derby's interests, not political points.

This was something that was shared by all parties within the city council. People can argue that it was the Labour government that set the procurement rules by which the bids for Thameslink were judged.

But it could also be argued that the Coalition was the Government in power when the decision was made – and it had the power to change things.

Being involved in the campaign was an interesting experience. For example, I never envisaged that, after just a couple of months in the leader's job, I would find myself, a Conservative politician, following the RMT union's general secretary Bob Crow onto a stage to address thousands of people at the rally in Derby that was held in support of Bombardier.

I will remember that day for a long time. The way the city mobilised itself I am sure had an influence on the thinking of Bombardier.

And I remember that the Bombardier management were surprised to see a Conservative leader of the city council take on his own government. This, too, may have convinced Bombardier that we were on their side.

When it comes to the moment when the tide started to turn, I believe that the Transport Select Committee's recommendation that the Audit Office should look into the bids was important.

Also, the announcement, just after Christmas, that Bombardier had won the Southern Railway contract may have swayed opinion.

But I think the Government's revision of its procurement rules is pivotal – and that's why I believe that, although we may have won the battle with Bombardier staying, we have not won the war.

If Bombardier is to have a long-term future it must be allowed to bid for UK contracts on a level playing field.

Because of our campaign, the Government quickly realised that the rules that they had used for Thameslink were not appropriate and that those regulations needed to be reviewed.

So, I will continue to put pressure on the Government to come up with rules that give Bombardier a fair chance.

For now, I would like to congratulate everyone who supported the campaign.

Personally, I'm delighted and absolutely made up for the workers at Litchurch Lane who are keeping their jobs.