The lack of a long-term industrial strategy puts the UK's manufacturing business at risk, the latest report from trade body Make UK has warned.
Make UK, which represents 20,000 manufacturers across the country, has called on the UK government to stop “flip flopping from one initiative to another” if it is to avoid falling behind international competitors.
The appeal highlights the growing frustration across the sector due to changing political priorities, which have led to the development of six different plans for growth under five different business secretaries since 2012. Yet, the sector currently finds itself without an industrial strategy, as the last one was dropped by ministers in March 2021.
“A lack of a proper, planned, industrial strategy is the UK’s Achilles heel,” said Stephen Phipson, the trade body’s chief executive. “If we are to not only tackle our regional inequality but also compete on a global stage, we need a national industrial...