I wonder what 2017 has in store for us post-Brexit? An American style, deregulated economy, or an economy that is based on highly skilled jobs, high productivity, and high levels of investment?
As the UK government prepares to negotiate Brexit, levels of uncertainty are bound to increase unless a clear vision is outlined. It is not enough to defend the status quo, a vision for a post-Brexit UK must reverse decades of de-industrialisation.
This must include direct investments, such as strategic use of the £200billion public sector procurement budget. Investment and incentives for the training of skilled apprenticeships would not only benefit existing manufacturers and the supply chain, it would remove a vital barrier to re-shoring. The UK government must also retain the right to directly intervene in the defence of strategic industries.
The government could begin by reviving the positive industrial policies scrapped by the previous Secretary of State, Sajid Javid, in 2015. The Business Growth Service, which includes the Manufacturing Advisory Service and Growth Accelerator program assisted more than 28,000 businesses.
The government under Theresa May must mean what is says and develop a long-term strategy for manufacturing. A red line must be drawn throughout the Brexit negotiations and access to the Single Market is an absolute necessity. A system of import or export tariffs could prove damaging to manufacturing, threatening UK jobs and the cost of living going through the roof.
On June 24th 2016 the world changed, bringing uncertainty, an exit without a plan. The longer the uncertainty grows, the weaker our industries may become, but with the right strategy in place we could weather the storm to emerge stronger from it.
We must defend manufacturing, jobs, investment and employment rights for the long term protection of our work places in the UK.
Perhaps it’s time we had a minister for manufacturing established.
Rodney Sadd
Carrington Road
Spalding
