The global site of the UK's leading magazine for automation, motion engineering and power transmission
28 March, 2024

LinkedIn
Twitter
Twitter link

UK manufacturers lay out manifesto for next government

26 February, 2015

Britain's manufacturers have drawn up four key priorities that, they say, the next UK government will have to build on to create the better-balanced economy that the UK needs to secure its economic recovery.

The priorities, contained in a business manifesto, Securing a Manufacturing Renaissance, launched by EEF, the manufacturers' organisation at its national conference, outline how the UK government must drive forward a programme for growth. To achieve this, says EEF, the government needs to punch its weight at the heart of a reformed European Union.

“While the last five years have been about recovery, the next five must be about delivering a better balanced economy,” says EEF chief executive, Terry Scuoler. “Some important groundwork has been laid and it is vital the next government builds on what has worked to date.

“Achieving a true rebalancing of the economy, however, was never going to be easy,” he adds. “It will involve tough choices and will not happen over the lifetime of a single Parliament. It is vital therefore the next government recognises this and sets lofty ambitions to provide the long-term certainty that is necessary for manufacturing businesses to invest recruit and grow in the UK.”

According to EEF, a lot still needs to be done to restore the public finances, improve productivity and secure real wage growth. In particular, the next UK government should set an ambition for measurable improvements in productivity relative to its global rivals, a step change in investment behaviour in the private sector and a marked improvement in the UK's trade performance.

EEF believes this can be achieved only by setting goals and performance measures to ensure spending decisions are delivering the best outcomes for business and the public. The table above summarises some of EEF's key targets for the next government to achieve by 2020.

EFF has also set the next government the following four ambitions with specific policy principles for each:

1.     A more productive and flexible labour force

•  An increase in the take-up of maths and science at key stages 4 and 5

•  Reform of university funding to increase applications for STEM degrees

•  Employers should be given control of Apprenticeship funding

•  Industry should be given control of developing and retaining vocational qualifications

•  A new “high-skill STEM” visa should be introduced

•  Employment legislation reforms should be subject to rigorous cost benefit analysis

•  The “Fit for Work” service should improve tax reliefs for private medical treatments which help employees to return to work

2.     Improving infrastructure

•  The establishment of a permanent, independent UK infrastructure authority

•  Make investment in the strategic road network and broadband key priorities

•  Alternative funding plans must be found for local and strategic road networks to ensure they are on a sustainable footing beyond 2020

•  The UK's energy infrastructure should be renewed to maximise opportunities for UK supply chains

•  The EU Emissions Trading Scheme must be reformed to prevent carbon leakage

•  UK domestic decarbonisation policy must be reformed to deliver the required energy efficiency improvements

3.     Cutting the cost of doing business

•  The carbon price floor should be removed as soon as fiscally possible

•  The compensation scheme for renewable electricity should be introduced as soon as possible

•  New targets should be set for deregulation, including for regulations originating in the EU

•  The recommendations of the Competition and Market Authority review of SME banking should be implemented

•  A long-term commitment to fund the British Business Bank

•  The establishment of an Office for Resource Management

4.     Better support for growing businesses

•  Funding for Innovate UK and Science should be protected

•  Funding for the HVM Catapult Centres must be maintained

•  Support for exporters must be maintained through UKTI funding

•  Introduce incentives to capture value from waste

•  Establish a centre for remanufacturing innovation and introduce incentives to encourage resource efficiency




Magazine
  • To view a digital copy of the latest issue of Drives & Controls, click here.

    To visit the digital library of past issues, click here

    To subscribe to the magazine, click here

     

Poll

"Do you think that robots create or destroy jobs?"

Newsletter
Newsletter

Events

Most Read Articles