Iain McKenzie MP: Manufacturing crucial to successful economy

Writing ahead of his debate today, Labour's Iain McKenzie stresses the need for the manufacturing sector to develop into a more forward thinking and investment led industry. Manufacturing is, and must continue to be, an integral part of the UK Economy. The need to maintain, develop and promote careers, business and market opportunities in the sector has never been greater. As the report, ‘Future of manufacturing: a new era of opportunity and challenge for the UK’, commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Office for Science reported in October 2013, manufacturing in 30 years’ time will be significantly different from the manufacturing sector which exists today, whilst being entirely unrecognisable from the traditional sectors we associate with manufacturing. Not only is this an important analysis of the future sector, it is also entirely correct and one which should be fully embraced. In order for manufacturing as a sector to grow and develop, it is essential Government works in partnership with industry leaders to invest in research, education and development, thus ensuring the UK manufacturing sector is not only leading Europe but making important headway globally. By developing a forward thinking, research based and investment led sector, not only we will develop a strong and prosperous economy with a healthy and diverse manufacturing sector at its core, we will also provide much needed skilled-based jobs across Britain; something we all recognise is much needed. Whilst we already have a diverse UK manufacturing sector which includes the food and drink industry, the automotive and aerospace industry and of course the ever growing engineering industry, many communities still live in the shadow of their former manufacturing glory. I have witnessed this decline first hand in my own constituency of Inverclyde. The heavy industries of shipyards, woollen mills and sugar refineries, once major employers in my community, have gone and left thousands of skilled workers unemployed. These jobs, and more sadly these skills, have not only disappeared in my constituency but in many communities throughout Britain which were once dependent on heavy industry.However, in Inverclyde we continue to be a manufacturing community, albeit on a much smaller scale, in the form of polythene products, electronics, thermoplastic components and orthopaedic products. It is my opinion that governments must be willing to properly back the manufacturing sector in order to provide stable and skilled employment. We must invest heavily in vocational education, new training opportunities for those in and out of work, full apprenticeships and research in order to exploit the development of new technologies. In order to grow a successful economy, modern Britain must have manufacturing at its core. It is not economically viable, in an ever changing global economy, to be seen primarily as a service nation. Manufacturing must be spread across the UK, with industry working in partnership with UK, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Governments to properly maximise Britain’s manufacturing capabilities. If we act today, we can deliver a bright and prosperous manufacturing sector in the future.